The Community Catalyst Leadership Program is an innovative new leadership development program designed specifically for members of the junior class which will provide the processes and frameworks needed to be a successful leader.

Application deadline is 12 noon on Monday, September 15, 2008

The Community Catalyst Leadership Program features

• A highly interactive kick-off conference on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10am-4pm with honored guests and members of the senior administration.
• A one-to-one professional coaching program focusing on the creation of a personalized developmental plan to help you maximize your strengths and build on areas that need development. (You will meet with your coach 4x during the year.)
• Three 90-minute in-depth educational workshops on topics like decision-making models, understanding strategic planning, coalition building, and communicating your organization’s vision.
• Two optional alumni networking dinners.
• A private dinner at Gray House, home of President Hockfield, to hear her views on leadership and to participate in an interactive discussion with key alumni and members of the senior administration. (To be held the evening of February 11th.)
• A professional network of 50 peer and 25 world-class alumni leaders; relationships that can help launch a career!

• Have you determined your own leadership capabilities? Do you know your own leadership strengths and areas for improvement? Have you developed a plan for feedback, assessment, and continuous improvement?
• Can you articulate your goals? Have you defined how your organization, committee, living group, class project team, fraternity/sorority, or sports team needs to change to keep pace in this ever-shifting climate? Have you connected “where you are” to “where you want to be”? Have you crafted a strategic plan to take you there?
• Will you keep improving your people skills? Can you motivate and inspire team members to work together to realize your vision? Can you earn—and keep—their trust along the way? Will you empower those around you to act as leaders?
• Are you consciously building your legacy? What do you want to leave behind when you graduate? How will you transition leadership of your group before you leave? Are you preparing to cultivate and empower other students to become future leaders on campus?

• Members of the Class of 2010
• Individuals who can articulate how they are a community catalyst
• Students who exemplify leadership qualities and interests that make MIT an enriched community

The commitment is low and the return is high! Here’s a tentative timeline for the program:

Sept. 27: Program Kick-off Conference and introduction of coaches 10am-4pm at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, 575 Memorial Dr.

October: Students meet individually with assigned coach to review the self-assessment tool and create a developmental plan.

November: Optional alumni networking dinner. Second meeting with coach.

December: Speaker/Workshop for all student participants on “Networking”. Students encouraged to connect individually with coach.

January/February: Students meet with assigned coach.

February: Community Catalyst Dinner at Gray House for the students, alumni coaches, and honored guests.

March: Student participants attend one of two educational workshops offered during the month of March.

April: Students encouraged to connect individually with assigned coach. Optional alumni networking dinner.

May: Students meet with coach to go over reflection paper.

Contact info:
Tracy Purinton
Special Assistant to the Dean
Division of Student Life
(617) 253-7911
purinton@mit.edu