Conferences and Leadership Opportunities
We nurture student leadership potential by providing students with opportunities to participate in a variety of leadership conferences. Listed below are some that our students have most recently been involved in.
Read student experiences to various conferences and leadership events.
Reflections from AASLE from Michael Johnson, UR '19, Leadership Studies Major and Philosophy, Politics, Economics & Law Double Major (PPEL):
"As a freshman during the time, the African American Student Leadership Experience (AASLE) was critical to my development as a servant leader not only on campus but off campus as well. Without extensive leadership experience prior to college, this experience gave me invaluable insight into skills necessary to be an effective and impactful leader. Skills such as how to be a more effective communicator, both in person and electronically; the importance of listening to accurately gauge the interests of the group, as well as delegation strategies in order to prevent leader burnout just to name a few. In addition to the skills I developed, I had the opportunity to connect with future leaders all accross the east coast and build relationships with peers who had similar interests as mine.
Now as a current senior, I look back on this experience and realize how much I developed in those few short days and the years that have followed. Above all, the AASLE conference gave me the confidence to be courageous in pursuing my passion and as a result, countless doors have opened up for me which I have continuously stepped through. If you are apprehensive to apply, that is all the more reason to do so and I implore you to take a leap of faith in yourself and your own development."
Continuing the legacy of developing African American student leaders at PWIs and HBCUs, the African American Student Leadership Experience (AASLE) is a three-day intensive experience where students will interact with prominent keynote speakers and facilitators in the area of leadership development. Students attending the AASLE will be challenged to put theory into practice, thus having a leadership experience in real time.
If you would like more information please visit their website here: http://www.belgllc.com/aasle/east-coast
Each year, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) will bring together national leaders, elected officials, corporate executives, community activists, and educators (just to name a few) to discuss critical issues facing the Latino community and the nation.
Members of Congress and thousands of Latino thought leaders and policy influencers participate in this three-day event, which has served as a vital forum for Hispanic-American leaders since 1980.
The East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) National Conference is an annual conference that brings together over 1,000 students from 100+ schools and speakers from around the country to discuss issues affecting Asian Americans.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs has sponsored students in the past to attend the conference at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, University of Pennsylvania, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Duke University, and Columbia University.
The Virginia Latino Higher Education Network (VALHEN) is the only state-wide, non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization serving as a networking structure to support, promote, and advocate for Latino success and advancement in higher education for the benefit and betterment of the Commonwealth of Virginia. VALHEN members are all volunteers and are a network of college and university faculty, staff, administrators, and community members. Each year VALHEN has a conference that focuses on examining the issues affecting America's youngest and fastest-growing minority.
The Applied Research Center's (ARC) Facing Race conference is a conference like no other—it is the largest national, multiracial gathering of leaders, educators, journalists, artists, and activists on racial justice. Attendees share their knowledge on advocating for racial justice in all walks of life.
This annual event is sponsored by the AAMC for its member medical schools and invited guests. College and high school students, parents, prehealth advisors, school administrators, and other interested individuals:
- meet diversity affairs and admissions officers from U.S. medical schools and other health profession schools
- listen to panel discussions on admissions, financial assistance, and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
- learn about and explore AspiringDocs.org and smdep.org
- participate in hands-on medical and health activities and more
Established to address leadership on the college campus, The Williams Leadership Education Foundation is committed to providing pathways to leadership development for college students to impact their success in a multidimensional environment.
WLEF has identified the following learning outcomes for conference participants:
- The development of a personal leadership style
- Creating a vision to implement a leadership plan of action for the organization
- Learning effective leadership techniques
- The exchange of leadership experiences to learn and/or adapt for effective use on each campus
The NCORE® conference series constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in American higher education. The conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change designed to improve racial and ethnic relations on campus and to expand opportunities for educational access and success by culturally diverse, traditionally underrepresented populations.
SANKOFA54: The African Youth Empowerment Conference aims to unite like-minded youth with an interest in conflict resolution, peace, and development in Africa. Recognizing that solidarity and communal efforts of students on the continent and abroad is a necessary step for the future success of development and peace.
