Leadership Development Program
What is MC LEADS?
Montgomery College Learn, Empower, Act, Discover and Serve is a leadership development program designed especially for Montgomery College students on the Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campuses. This 10 week leadership program utilizes the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, which was created specifically for college students who seek to lead in a more socially responsible way and who want to learn to work effectively with others to create social change over their lifetime (Higher Education Research Institute [HERI], 1996).
Goals of the Social Change Model
- To enhance student learning and development and to increase each participants’ knowledge
of self and leadership competence
- Self-knowledge: understanding talents, values, and interests
- Leadership capacity: capacity to mobilize yourself and others to serve and work collaboratively
- To facilitate positive social change at Montgomery College and in the community
- Undertake actions that will help the college/community function more effectively and humanely
The Seven Critical Values of the Social Change Model of Leadership
Awareness of the beliefs, values, attitudes, and emotions that motivate one to take
action. This is the key to being able to develop consciousness of others.
Thinking, feeling, and behaving with consistency, genuineness, authenticity, and honesty
towards others; actions are consistent with most deeply-held beliefs and convictions;
interdependent with Consciousness of Self.
The psychic energy that motivates the individual to serve and that drives the collective
effort; implies passion, intensity, and duration, and is directed toward both the
group activity as well as its intended outcomes; requires knowledge of self.
To work with others in a common effort; constitutes the cornerstone value of the group
leadership effort because it empowers self and others through trust; leadership as
a group process; encourages group to transcend individual goals, interests and behaviors;
vital that group members explore differences in individual values, ideas, affiliations,
visions and identities.
To work with shared aims and values; facilitates the group’s ability to engage in
collective analysis of issues at hand and the task to be undertaken; best achieved
when all members of the group share in the vision and participate actively in articulating
the purpose and goals of the activity.
Recognizes two fundamental realities of any creative group effort: that differences
in viewpoint are inevitable, and that such differences must be aired openly, but with
civility. Civility implies respect for others, a willingness to hear each other’s
views, and the exercise of restraint in criticizing the views and actions of others.
Requires trust amongst the group members; conflicts need to be resolved but also integrated
into the common purpose.
The process whereby an individual and the collaborative group become responsibly connected
to the community and the society through the leadership development activity. To
be a good citizen is to work for positive change on the behalf of others and the community.
The practice of good citizenship should and needs to happen at every level of the
model.
The ability to adapt to environments and situations that are constantly evolving,
while maintaining the core functions of the group. Change is the value “hub” which
gives meaning to the 7 C’s and is the ultimate goal of the creative process of leadership
– to make a better world and a better society for self and others.
Students in the program will:
- PARTICIPATE in active and lively workshops with skilled and knowledgeable facilitators
- LEARN leadership skills that will continue to serve you throughout your academic, personal and professional life
- EXPLORE your strengths and abilities and how to use them
- BUILD relationships with academic and community leaders
- GROW as active participants in our community
When is the Program Offered?
We are now taking applications for our Spring 2025 cohort.
- Germantown: new windowMondays, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Application closes Friday, February 7
- Rockville:new window Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Application closes Friday, February 7
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring:new window Mondays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Application closes Friday, February 7
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible to participate you must:
- Be a current Montgomery College student during the semester you are applying for the program
- Be enrolled for a minimum of 1 credit hour
- Commit to attending all sessions with designated cohort