SLP ConceptServant Leadership Program
The Servant Leadership Program is a rigorous, year-long, high-commitment program that engages students in a process of cultivating an appreciation of who they are, why they are here, and how they are called to live. The SLP process encourages students to recognize and act on their capacity as agents of change for a more just and peaceful world through an exploration of the inner and outer landscapes of their lives.
The SLP consists of three cohorts—Apprentice, Ambassador, and Partner. Each cohort focuses on and explores a different realm of leadership—personal, community, and global (systems)—through action, reflection, and leadership development opportunities including workshops, off-campus retreats, reading/discussion groups, and service projects.
The SLP supports a three tiered impact. The first impact is through individual relationships. By engaging peers, SLP members initiate personal conversations around leadership and the practice of leading, facilitate reflections, invest others in leadership activities, and invite peers to participate in the program. The second impact is through community engagement. SLP members serve the community through ongoing service programs, hosting and facilitating workshops and conversations regarding leadership, and initiating social action (i.e. “the dirty thirty” – thirty days of living simply). The third tier involves systemic change. This includes conducting community-based research in conjunction with a community partner to critically examine and offer solutions to systemic challenges.
In the 2011-2012 academic year, the SLP members contributed roughly 2,800 hours of direct service, hosted 9 service/leadership events (such as the “Reading is fun!” event in which college students read children’s books to local youth to inspire more reading for fun), conducted three community-based research projects, presented at two national conferences, facilitated three workshops for students, faculty, and staff regarding servant leadership, and engaged their peers in reflective conversations that encourages a more “leader filled” campus.