Leaders in Training

Students enrolled in the LIT program will complete several courses dedicated to learning about and further developing their leadership skills.

In Leadership 101, the LITs learn their strengths and weaknesses as emerging leaders, explore various leadership styles and philosophies, and practice skills and strategies related to everything from communication and problem-solving to goal setting and conflict resolution.

In our New Skills, Challenges, & Growth course, the LITs continuously test themselves by working in different environments with different faculty members to learn a wide variety of new skills. With each experience, they learn to adapt, to push past initial unease and uncertainty, and to develop further confidence in their ability to tackle unfamiliar situations.

In Outdoor Adventure, the LITs operate as assistant teachers, leading by example, modelling positivity, and helping younger students to be safe and supported as they complete group and individual challenges on our ropes course.

Outside of these courses, students complete many community service projects throughout the summer session, including working at a local food bank and soup kitchen and organizing and facilitating an end-of-the-summer dance for all summer session students.

The LIT program was originally devised to provide students with repeated opportunities to:

• take responsibility for themselves
• mentor younger students in a structured environment
• work with fellow LITs and staff in developing, planning, organizing, and leading various events and activities across campus
• test the leadership skills that they explore in class
• reflect mindfully upon each new learning experience

The LIT program accommodates up to fourteen students, including LIT IIs (students who are undertaking the program for a second time); all LITs are current EHS students who have displayed leadership skills over the course of the academic year. Each prospective LIT must undergo an interview and application process to demonstrate their initiative and interest in becoming one of our Leaders in Training. 

It is our strong recommendation that LITs participate fully in the program as designed. However, in rare cases, a highly qualified LIT candidate who must complete specific academic coursework during the summer may be permitted to enroll in one or two such classes. This exception may be granted only when there is mutual agreement with the academic administration, and when the requested courses are available and aligned with the student’s academic needs. We believe that missing more than two LIT classes per day would significantly diminish the integrity of the program’s experiential, cohort-based learning model and disrupt group dynamics. Many of the program’s most meaningful skills and life lessons are cultivated through shared experiences and active, collaborative participation in LIT classes. Additionally, several days during the summer require LITs to be off campus for a substantial portion of the class day. Enrolling in outside academic courses may therefore create scheduling conflicts and limit the student’s ability to fully engage in either commitment.

LITs enjoy the same support they have throughout the academic year: dorm parents, advisors and teachers during the school day, weekend faculty during the weekends, and administrators are all ready to help LITs make the most of their summer.

LITs support one another as well. They live in a section of Harmsworth Hall designated specifically for them, and together, they engage in all aspects of the summer session, including their organization, marketing, and facilitation of an on-campus event to celebrate the end of the summer session. The LITs attend workshops, have multiple check-ins with faculty and staff, and take part in planned activities until 9:00 p.m. every night.