Students looking for an opportunity to hone their leadership style and skills can apply to the CSU LeaderShape® Institute  — a week-long, free retreat at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park for team-building, networking opportunities, and growth. The program starts on May 15, and applications are due Monday, March 27.

The LeaderShape Institute “emphasizes your individual goals in a group setting,” says Lynsie Roper, a graduate as well as the co-curricular leadership retreats student coordinator for SLiCE. “Leadership is more than your individual belief and style, it’s about community,” and this program provides a network of support.

Primary tenets of the workshop include ethical values, inclusivity, and a “healthy disregard for the impossible,” she adds. Activities range from vibrant discussions to challenging ropes courses, and a variety of other happenings in between. The conference begins with the core components of leadership, moves into the experiential, and develops into goal creation and planning with highlights on integrity.

National program

LeaderShape is a national program that has been around since 1986. It was developed by the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity to aid campus leadership, and has had a place at CSU for the past 13 years, producing more than 550 student graduates.

Last year, CSU’s LeaderShape took place over Spring Break, but this year it is set for immediately after commencement to encourage additional student participation.

One of Roper’s favorite aspects of the conference is the connections that are made between students across all majors and class standings. She participated in the program early on as a freshman, and it’s the reason she’s become so involved with SLiCE and all of the events that it promotes.

The application process begins with the basics — work experience, involvement, major — then delves into essay questions that ask about a student’s drive to learn more about leadership and develop those skills. Any CSU student is eligible to apply.