Several Staley School of Leadership Studies team members recently represented Kansas State University at the International Leadership Association’s (ILA) Leadership Education Academy (LEA). The virtual training program took place between Aug. 2-13. LEA is designed to build the knowledge and skills needed to excel as a leadership educator in a variety of settings and provides professional mentoring and networking opportunities.
Kerry Priest, Ph.D., associate professor at the Staley School, was a member of the facilitation team, leading sessions that supported professional identity development and teaching and learning practices. Priest is also a co-creator of the LEA conference. The bi-annual academy is in its fourth year, with the first conference hosted in 2015 after over two years of collaborative development.
“LEA was developed by leadership educators for leadership educators. Working with LEA has given me the opportunity to bridge research and practice,” said Priest. “Leadership education is an interdisciplinary field with a global context, including higher education faculty, student affairs professionals, community program leaders, extension agents, organizational consultants, non-profit leaders, professional coaches, and others. We seek to not only build individuals’ capacity as educators and developers of leadership but also foster connections and networking opportunities that strengthen a broader community of practice.”
Among the 80 participants at LEA was Trisha Gott, Ed.D., associate director and assistant professor at the Staley School. Gott’s experience included online learning modules, as well as live interactive online discussions on leadership theories and models, instructional strategies, and professional vision. Central to the training was a guided process of course or program planning, including peer coaching and one-on-one mentoring.
“I’m so excited to continue growing as a leadership educator and to connect with colleagues in this field of study,” said Gott. “Relationship-building is at the heart of practicing leadership, and working with so many professionals is a fantastic opportunity to connect, grow, and learn together.”
K-State graduate student and alumnus of the Staley School, Haden Botkin, from Blue Rapids, Kansas, also participated. Botkin is currently pursuing his M.S. in College Student Development and is a graduate teaching assistant in the College of Education. He’s interested in continuing his leadership development because of his aspirations of teaching and conducting research around leadership education.
“Dr. Priest recommended LEA to me a few months back,” said Botkin. “Gaining new perspectives, meeting other practitioners in the field, and continuing to develop my identity as a leadership educator were definitely highlights of the conference.”
Advancing leadership learning and development is just one of the Staley School of Leadership Studies’ research priorities. Contributions to the International Leadership Association and Leadership Education Academy highlight our global impact–supporting leadership educators and developers everywhere by sharing practices that are relevant to today’s dynamic world.
