Welcome to Public Leadership!
The Public Leadership Program, sponsored by the Maryland School of Public Policy, focuses on the theory and practice of leadership and citizenship in civic and political spheres from the local to the global. To learn more about the student experience in the Public Leadership program, please visit the student testimonials at the bottom of this page.
Check out the University's Study Abroad Office website to learn more about Public Leadership's Winter 2009 study abroad trip to Morocco.
PL Visits the World Bank
Public Leadership students from the College Park Scholars program recently connected classroom knowledge to concrete experience on a visit to the World Bank, one of the most important institutions of development and finance in the international system. Freshmen from Dr. David Crocker’s class PUAF 201- Leadership for the Common Good joined several graduate students from the Maryland School of Public Policy to spend two hours in the Bank’s executive boardroom while meeting with Dr. Stephen Ndegwa, Lead Specialist on Public Sector Governance, and one more of the Bank’s many talented consultants, Nick Howard. Ndegwa seamlessly threaded the themes of public leadership, civic engagement, and respect for community throughout his presentation concerning Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai and her Greenbelt Movement in Kenya. Bank Visitors Briefings coordinator Angelica Silvero provided an informative overview of the Bank's mission and methods.
Because Crocker’s class has been studying and writing about Maathai’s memoir Unbowed, it benefited greatly from the opportunity to question Ndegwa about her exceptional life and leadership skills. Ndegwa wrote his dissertation and a book on the Greenbelt Movement, and he knows Maathai personally. His comments on her wisdom, religious and ethical commitments, dedication to democracy, and limitations underscored that great leaders are also real people. The struggles they face are genuine, and they are not always successful.
Ndegwa and Howard both encouraged students to always strive to become involved and make a difference in their own communities. They stressed the importance of not being afraid to take advantage of every opportunity, especially while the students are attending school in such close proximity to one of the world’s most prominent cities. While recounting the experiences that led him to a job at the World Bank, Howard advised the students to learn at least one more language, strengthen their skills through internships, and study or work abroad. It is not likely that many of the Public Leadership students will end up working at the World Bank themselves, but they will not soon forget this exhilarating visit.
Our students describe the program best:
"I just wanted to reiterate how much I enjoyed going into DC with my fellow Public Leadership Scholars and visiting the World Bank. The presentation at the World Bank really helped me "connect the dots", per se, between Maathai's work, Unbowed, Powers to Lead, and the principles of leadership we've been learning this semester. We were incredibly fortunate to have Steve, somebody who actually worked with Maathai, share his knowledge of both the Greenbelt Movement and the Bank with us. I hope we have more experiences like this in the near future through Public Leadership! Thanks again for always trying to think of new ways to intellectually stimulate and engage us - it's really working!"
-- Michelle Kagel
Class of 2011
"Public Leadership Scholars has allowed me to study leadership on both a theoretical and practical level, while simultaneously practicing it in leadership positions across campus. Most importantly, however, Public Leadership gave me resources that helped me succeed inside and outside the classroom and led me to make friends I’ve traveled, lived, and studied with whom I know I will stay in touch with the rest of my life . . . . On a personal level, Public Leadership has led to my own self-improvement and growth . . . . Among the most exigent topics I’ve studied is the “ethic of responsibility,” a concept that has completely changed the way I view political leadership in particular . . . . Public Leadership has left an impression on me that will last well past my education career and social life here at school into my professional life and the opportunities it may hold."
--Katie Sylvestere
Class of 2010
"Overall, Public Leadership has served to be more than just a gateway to even more valuable experiences at the University of Maryland. It as allowed me to have a new approach to learning and to practicing leadership roles in my daily life. I have learned the importance of effective citizenship and the importance of all people taking initiative in society. I have established connections with amazing peers and talented faculty, who have given me many opportunities to expand my education and to establish possibilities for careers in my future. It has been an extremely rewarding program that has allowed me to develop academically, professionally, and personally. . . And, yes, it sounds corny, and we might not even truly understand the implications of the lessons we have learned until much later, but the program has affected all of us, and I know I have learned more than I ever thought I would from Public Leadership. Not only is this scholars program my reason for attending the University of Maryland, but it has been a main contributor to my success for the past two years."
--Mike Besser
Class of 2010
"If you are looking for something practical, the community-based learning programs for the first-year students put the knowledge from the classroom into practice."
--Sam Furnish
Class of 2011
"It is a plus to see you are actually making a substantial difference in the community you live in."
--Dan Murphy
Class of 2011
