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Welcome week, class of 2011. | Welcome! Today is
Sophomores had no idea what was in store for them this year as they headed out into secluded Virginia for the Sophomore Retreat September 13.
"Despite the fact that we had planned everything, we really didn’t know what to expect," ... [read more]
From the bus ride over to a dreary campsite in the middle of nowhere Maryland on a Friday afternoon, through the bus ride back to American University on Monday morning, the Freshman Retreat was beyond unforgettable. It was “Kick ass, and [it ... [read more]
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About the Program
The SPA Leadership Program was created in 1990 to offer students the experience, skills, and knowledge to prepare them for leadership roles in the public service. It is four-year, 15-unit course of study that culminates in a certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies. Through a competitive application process, each year 35 first-year students are selected and advance together through the four-year program. In the first year students work in small groups, together with a second-year student acting as teaching assistant, to plan and implement a social action project in the Washington D.C. area. First-year and second year students take a year-long course, meeting weekly to explore leaders and leadership theory and practice. The second year emphasizes social movements, social action and US domestic policy. The second year also gives students hands-on experience in fundraising, writing grant proposals, and pairs students with D.C. professionals who serve as their mentors. In the first semester of the third year, Leadership students intern in one of the many public and private agencies in the D.C. area, and participate in a seminar to explore organizational behavior, professionalism, and public policy. Finally, in their last term at AU, Leadership students return for a senior seminar in leadership theory and practice. This year the seniors are studying leadership and the U.S. Supreme Court.
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