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Leadership & Development
Lead. Grow. Engage. Thrive.
At Penn State, leadership goes far beyond holding a title—it's about building skills, discovering your values, and making a difference. The co-curricular leadership opportunities across campus help students become ethical, engaged, and empowered leaders in their careers, communities, and lives.
Real World Skills, Real Campus Impact
Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Leadership experiences outside the classroom provide valuable opportunities to strengthen skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and conflict resolution. They also build confidence in decision-making and communication, preparing you for success in the workplace and in civic life. Through these experiences, you can explore your purpose, discover your impact, and create meaningful change within your community.
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Getting involved in a student organization is one of the most hands-on ways to develop leadership skills. Whether you’re coordinating events, managing a budget, or guiding a team, you’ll gain real-world experience in communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. Leadership within an organization also helps you build community and create a sense of belonging across campus.
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Joining student government or a college council gives you a direct voice in shaping the Penn State experience. You’ll advocate for your peers, collaborate with campus partners, and influence decisions that impact student life. These roles strengthen your confidence, expand your network, and offer a deeper understanding of shared governance and civic leadership.
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Serving on an advisory board connects you with staff, faculty, and other students working to improve campus programs and services. These positions let you represent the student perspective, share feedback, and help guide initiatives that affect the wider community. Advisory roles offer meaningful opportunities to lead through insight, collaboration, and long-term impact.
Growing Excellence in Fraternities and Sororities
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life works closely with the Penn State fraternity and sorority community to increase leadership through focused trainings, retreats, and leadership opportunities.
Leadership Training and Development
Short on time but still want to grow your skills? Check out these flexible learning opportunities to expand your knowledge and grow your leadership skill set.
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The Summer Leadership Conference is a three-day conference that brings Penn State student representatives together from across the Commonwealth. Participants attend several workshops aimed at enhancing their leadership, citizenship, and networking skills.
- For questions about the conference, please email summerleadershipconf@psu.edu.
2026 Conference
- Check back for conference dates and location
Vision
The Penn State Summer Leadership Conference provides a challenging and motivating experience for participants where they will learn to be empowered, confident leaders, personally and professionally, and will be inspired to lead purposeful lives while upholding the Penn State Values.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Enhance essential skills and competencies and identify areas for further exploration and development in the pursuit of leadership excellence; specifically ethical decision making, creative education and innovation, group dynamics, and conflict management.
- Explain the importance of embracing a diverse and inclusive community and how those relate to multicultural competency.
- Define their leadership values and philosophies through self-awareness exercises.
- Demonstrate how their role as a student leader at Penn State can be applied to their future.
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The Global Engagement and Leadership Experience, as the name implies, is a "global" leadership opportunity. What does that mean? At GELE we explore our ability to interact across differences, both at the individual and group level. Our trained facilitators work to guide you in your understanding of self, while also providing opportunities to learn about the cultures and identities of others through fun and reflective activities. The skills you need to work across differences ("intercultural") are important no matter your academic major or future career goals.
Student Organization Leadership Workshop
Does your student org need help with team dynamics, communication, or planning? Request a customized workshop with at least 2 weeks notice and schedule a facilitated session with trained consultants.
Student Leadership and Involvement
103 HUB-Robeson Center
288 Pollock Rd.
University Park, PA 16802
- 814-863-4624
- Service and Leadership Programs: ServiceLeadership@psu.edu
- Student Organizations: studentorg@psu.edu