LEAD Travel Programs

2026: Socially-Responsible Leadership in New York City

The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership is proud to reflect on the completion of a 5-day travel program over the university’s winter break. Led by Megan Kasper (Associate Director of CEL), Kaleigh Del Greco (Interim Coordinator of CEL), and Hannah Myers (Graduate Assistant of CEL), the experience examined NYC in the lens of socially-responsible leadership.

This program invited students to see leadership come alive across NYC’s communities, cultures, and histories—from Harlem to the New York Historical Museum, the Tenement Museum, and the United Nations. Grounded in the values of Community-Engaged Leadership, this experience blended travel, reflection, and dialogue to help students:

• Discover personal leadership identity and values.
• Learn to lead with and alongside others.
• Connect leadership to social responsibility.

Highlights included:

• Visits to the aforementioned communities.
• Exploring New York City within small groups.
• Daily community chats led by peer leaders, reflecting on what students have learned so far and their connections to socially responsible leadership.
• A group cultural experience on Broadway, seeing the musical Hadestown.

2023: University of Johannesburg Global Leadership Exchange

The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership office is pleased to reflect on the success of the 2023 Global Leadership Exchange (GLE) program. Conducted during the week of September 3rd, this initiative brought twelve students from the University of Johannesburg to engage with our Appalachian State University community and thirteen App State students selected to be Global Leadership Exchange Fellows. Throughout the program week, student leaders from both institutions actively participated in global dialogue, fostering cultural exchange through small-group discussions and relationship-building activities.

A key objective of the GLE program was to cultivate participants’ curiosity and openness toward diverse identities, cultural perspectives, and global perspectives on leadership. Post-program feedback revealed that participants gained a deeper understanding of how culture influences individuals’ views and perceptions. The significance of our cross-cultural connections is underscored by the recognition that, even with variances in identities and backgrounds, a shared mission and values serve as cohesive elements within student leadership development. Participants engaged in shared learning around student leadership, activism, advocacy, and social change concepts in global contexts. Highlights from the week included shadowing AppState student leaders, a day trip to Greensboro to visit the International Civil Rights Museum and Bennett College, and community service with local nonprofits.