Empowerment, Gender, and Leadership (EGL)

The Empowerment Gender and Leadership program, hosted through the Institute for Leadership Studies, is designed to foster dialogue and conversation on the varied issues intersecting with gender and leadership. All students, regardless of the identities they hold, are invited to apply to be part of the EGL initiative.  

What is the EGL Initiative?

The EGL initiative was started in 2016 by three KU students — Kathryn Everett, Gabrielle Naylor, and BreShawna Briggs — in order to elevate and foster dialogue at KU on the issues of gender and leadership. Specifically they sought to first draw on a curricular experience to deepen knowledge and understanding of leadership, gender issues, and the intersections of both. And then they wanted to create an opportunity to transform that learning into action by orienting the application around the design, development, and hosting of a public event on campus to learn, elevate and transform the conversation about women’s leadership. From their initiative, the 2017 LETWomen Conference was held. 

Courses in the EGL Initiative:

  •    LDST 490: Gender and Leadership Practices and Processes (offered in the fall)
  •    LDST 490:  Gender and Leadership Applications (offered in the spring)

How can you be part of the EGL Initiative?

Each year the EGL Steering Committee invites applications from interested students from all disciplines, areas of involvement, and interests at KU. A willingness to learn, support others, and impactfully move the system(s) you care about forward are the most important factors considered for selection. Students selected to be part of the EGL Steering Committee will enroll in a two-course gender and leadership course sequence through which they will develop their leadership skills, expand their knowledge and understanding of gender issues, and design and help plan the spring LETWomen conference. The courses bring together a classroom experience, a mentoring program, and experiential learning. The EGL Initiative provides an ideal opportunity for students seeking to make progress on issues about which they care deeply and to study the processes of leadership in a dynamic interdisciplinary program.

How can you apply? 

Applications are due by April 10th via the following link: EGL Application

Applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions by April 25th.

In the course of completing this application you will be asked to upload three pdf documents. The first is your Advising Report, and instructions for accessing that file via the myKUportal are included below. The second pdf to upload will be your current resume/CV. Finally you will be asked to upload your responses to two short essay questions.

If you have any questions, please contact the Institute for Leadership Studies:

Lisa Brown

Administrative Associate

lisabrown@ku.edu

2016-2017 EGL Steering Committee

  • Sydney Bannister
  • BreShawna Briggs
  • Kathryn Everett
  • Abigail Fields
  • Mary Joyce
  • Gabriel Naylor
  • Jack Rooker