Summer Leadership Program

Overview

Last summer, 50 Dartmouth student leaders gathered for something new. They told us they came in feeling mostly ready — but in need of guidance that was specific to Dartmouth, grounded in real scenarios, and provided connection to the peers leading organizations alongside them.

Shaped by what we learned last year, the Summer Leadership Program returns for its second year. The Class of 2028 is invited to participate in this year's cohort, which will begin with pre-work launched via Canvas at the start of the Summer term and continue with four in-person workshops starting the week of July 20.

In this program, you'll:

  • Identify your core personal and organizational values and use them as a foundation for leadership decisions and team leading;
  • Foster inclusive and collaborative environments through effective communication and relationship-building practices;
  • Engage in challenging conversations and conflict with greater confidence, using dialogue and perspective-taking tools for resolution;
  • Apply ethical frameworks to complex leadership situations, weighing competing values and responsibilities and considering the impact of leadership decisions on all members of a group;
  • Develop a vision for your leadership growth beyond the summer, connecting this experience to your broader goals.

Interested in learning more about last year's program? Check out this article!

Program Details

The program consists of two parts: 

  • Asynchronous and independent pre-work to build a foundation centered on identifying and aligning core values and better understanding how student organizations are structured (developed by Student Life and Greek Life and Student Societies)
  • Four required, in-person workshops beginning the week of July 20, running for four weeks, and focusing on:
    • Community building and working together (led by the Native American Program and Outdoor Programs Office)
    • Navigating difficult moments  (led by Dartmouth Dialogues and the Teevens Center)
    • Ethical decision making (led by Student Involvement and Student Life)
    • Designing what's next post Summer Leadership Program (led by the Dartmouth Center for Career Design)

Participants will be assigned to one of two cohorts:

  • Mondays, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
    • Session dates: July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10
  • Thursdays, 12:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
    • Session dates: July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13

Each 2-hour session includes a meal. 

Registration

Interested in joining the cohort? Please register by the start of summer term (June 25). 

You do not have to be a current student leader to participate! Leadership is a practice and a process, not a position. This program is built to help you both with your involvements at Dartmouth and beyond.

In order to participate, you must be in Hanover, NH for the duration of the program — there is no virtual option. While the program is primarily geared toward sophomores (Class of 2028), folks from older class years may register if interested. 

Questions? Reach out to Jenny Adams in Student Life.