Cluster Facilitator Application

The application deadline for 2008 has passed, but please consider attending the 2009 session. For more information, please contact slc@engr.wisc.edu.

The LeaderShape Institute, now in its eighteenth year, has made a difference in the lives of approximately 20,000 young men and women from throughout the country. Each of these sessions is comprised of approximately 40-60 participants sponsored by various organizations representing diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.

The first Wisconsin LeaderShape Institute was held in August 1997 and funded with grants acquired from the deans of College of Engineering and School of Business. A total of forty-two students attended, along with two faculty members and two industry representatives as facilitators.

To help explain the responsibilities of a faculty member, the following questions and answers address the most commonly heard concerns:

What exactly is LeaderShape Inc.?

LeaderShape Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to developing young adults to lead with integrity. To learn more about this exceptional organization please visit The LeaderShape Institute website.

What role will I play as a Cluster Facilitator at the LeaderShape Institute?

As a Cluster Facilitator, you will work closely with a group of 8-10 young men and women during the session. This group is called your "Family Cluster" and as the name implies, this group becomes one of the primary supports for the growth and leadership development of our participants.

You will personally facilitate several segments of the curriculum with your group as well as discuss many of the curriculum components that are presented to the entire assembly of participants (called "The Learning Community"). Your role is one of facilitator and coach, not "expert". Our philosophy at The LeaderShape Institute is that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner.

What is the time commitment?

The Institute runs six days, with students arriving on Sunday, January 7, 2007. All faculty arrive one day earlier, on Saturday, January 6 so please make sure you are available for the entire duration of the session. All faculty and students remain at the training facility the entire time during the program and depart around 1:00pm on Friday, January 12 after the commencement ceremony. Know that you will be in group sessions from approximately 8:00 am - midnight daily, so keep this in mind as you consider the position. This is an outstanding program and also a serious commitment.

Do I need an extensive background in leadership training?

You do not have to be a specialist in leadership theory to be a Cluster Facilitator. In fact, many of our faculty are not. Rather, our faculty possess excellent interpersonal and group process skills and a real interest in young adults. Professionally, our faculty have come from very diverse backgrounds including student personnel administration, non-profit organizations, and private business. To account for the wide array of faculty experience, you will be provided with an extensive training manual well in advance of The Institute, in addition to organizing the Sunday training session.

What will I gain from the LeaderShape experience?

You will be simultaneously exhilarated, exhausted, challenged and moved by the energy and creativity of approximately 50-60 young student leaders from the UW-Madison campus. You will work with a faculty team forming relationships that, in many cases, will be lifelong friendships. When you leave the Institute, the materials and insights gained will serve you both personally and professionally. In terms of compensation, your room and board, and related expenses will be covered. Cluster Facilitators do not receive additional honoraria.

If you have any questions about the UW-Madison LeaderShape Institute feel free to contact LeaderShape Program Coordinator, at slc@engr.wisc.edu or call 265-2899.