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Princeton to serve as home for new student leadership institute
Posted June 2, 2005; 01:34 p.m.
Princeton University will be the home this summer for a new program
intended to develop the leadership potential of promising high school
students from racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds that are
underrepresented in the national leadership pool.
Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America's LEDA Scholars Program
will launch its Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute on the campus
between June 18 and Aug. 14.
Fifty-four students who will be high school seniors this fall will take
classes and participate in other activities intended to help prepare
them for enrollment in selective colleges and universities.
Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America was founded by
Gary Simons, who also started the renowned Prep for Prep program in New
York City in 1978. Prep for Prep was designed to develop the leadership
potential of underrepresented students in New York City.
The new organization has two programs: the LEDA College-Bound
Community, which focuses on New York City high school sophomores; and
the LEDA Scholars Program, which targets rising seniors from small-town
and rural high schools.
Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman serves on the LEDA board of
trustees. "In keeping with Princeton's efforts to broaden access to
higher education, we are delighted to welcome the Aspects of Leadership
Summer Institute to our campus," she said. "This is a critical
component of the LEDA Scholars Program, which will give talented but
disadvantaged high school students from across America a unique
opportunity to develop the skills and confidence they need to realize
their potential and, one day, help guide our nation in ways that serve
the common good."
In addition to serving as the home for the program, the University is
helping to provide some of the staff. Graduate students Ethan Schoolman
and Shana Kushner will be two of the four facilitators, leading the
classes in the curriculum. According to Lance Fialkoff, director of the
LEDA Scholars Program, the graduate students are experienced assistants
in instruction and "really stood out as strong teachers."
Six Princeton undergraduate students will be working as residential
coordinators: Steven Brown, Lubna Malik, Danielle Hamilton, Darnell
Motley, Stephanie Okonkwo and Cynthia Akatugba. Serving as an assistant
director of residential life will be Awilda Rodriguez, a 2003 Princeton
graduate who works as a talent search officer for LEDA during the
academic year.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the high school students will be
enrolled in the rigorous Aspects of Leadership curriculum, which
involves discussions based on reading assignments, role-playing and
group activities. They will develop their writing and analytical skills
in preparation for college-level work through frequent writing
assignments. The group will be using various classrooms and computer
clusters around the campus.
To balance the academic work, there will be Saturday trips to local and
New York metropolitan area attractions. Fialkoff said the group hopes
to take advantage of Princeton resources, such as the University Art
Museum, recreational facilities and summer programs with offerings open
to neighbors. "We will try to have students benefit from all the
wonderful things that are around the campus," he said. "We'd like to
become an active part of the community as much as we can."
Following the summer program, LEDA staff members will stay in close
contact with the students, guiding them through the college application
process.