UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA) is accepting applications from interested first-year students. This certificate program is open to any current first-year University Park student with a GPA of 3.2 or above.
Applications close at 5 p.m. on March 7. Penn State faculty and staff may nominate qualified first-year students online by 5 p.m. on Feb. 21.
Students interested in the certificate program can attend an informational Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 or 10.
In addition to PLA coursework, students attend leadership seminars, engage in community programs, and participate in fully funded field trips planned each semester that aim to shed light on social political and environmental issues.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi teaches a weekly seminar course for new students, with additional honors courses focused on leadership development that are led by Patrick Mather, dean of the Schreyer Honors College, and Melissa Doberstein, director of PLA. The final year in PLA concludes with the creation of an e-portfolio project.
Incoming PLA students can expect coursework and experiences that emphasize civility, philanthropy, respect for diversity, and student engagement. The academy explores multiple dimensions of issues, encourages wide-ranging viewpoints, and fosters fully informed and respectful discourse, often leading to sound action.
PLA was established in 2009 with a gift from Edward R. and Helen S. Hintz to develop critical-thinking and educate selected students in personal, global and cultural spheres. Each year, a diverse class joins the academy to consider the complexity and variability of world matters and current events. PLA values the idea that critical thinking on issues is not black or white, but instead, somewhere in the gray.
All questions and inquiries about nominations and applications may be directed to Doberstein at mif3@psu.edu.