Braves Lead is new to campus and aims to develop students’ individual leadership skills.
Since the launch of the Braves Lead program over 45 students have signed up.
“We have doubled our goal for the semester,” Ruth Bertram, the graduate assistant in the student activities office working on Braves Lead said. “We originally wanted roughly twenty to 25.”
Ben Wright, the assistant director of Student Activities Office for leadership and service helped start Braves Lead. After some assessing, Wright said he realized that there was a lack of places outside of the classroom for students to learn leadership skills. He also felt that some students believed that leadership was limited to a title.
“Leadership is a process rather than a position,” Wright said.
With Bertram’s assistance, Wright was able to create Braves Lead to allow students to learn that concept.
“The major takeaway would most likely be to understand that leadership is a lifelong journey that takes time and effort,” Bertram added.
To achieve what the overseers of Braves Lead hopes, participants must complete one of two tiers of the program.
Tier one is all about who the participant is as an individual. They must attend an orientation, attend various seminars, complete volunteer hours and perform an exit interview to ensure what they have learned. This portion only lasts for a semester.
Tier two is on a group dynamic base. Participants will be put into mentored group, partner with a non- profit organization in Peoria, and create a group project to enhance the community. This portion will last for one school year.
If a student successfully passes tier one, they are eligible to move on to tier two, however, it is not required to go on to tier two to complete.
After finishing, students will receive a Braves Lead graduation cord, a certificate of completion, and the ability to add the program to their resumes.
Unlike other leadership programs such as Fellows and LINCS, Braves Lead is open to any and all students. No major, affiliate or year is excluded from this opportunity. Students who are not active on campus are especially encouraged to join.
“We want to find students who might not be engaged on this campus and let them know that they are capable of making a change,” Wright said about the inclusivity of Braves Lead.
Wright explains that they are using the data collection and student responses to determine the future of Braves Lead. The exit interviews will be used to find out what the students enjoyed and what they learned. Whatever response received, Wright hopes to improve the organization to make sure students become the best leaders possible.
Braves Lead’s submissions are closed for this semester. However, for students who want to register for upcoming semesters can visit the Bradley website under the leadership and service link.
