The LeaderShape Institute (4-day residential leadership program held in California, usually first week of June) | Click here for more information
Each year, The Souza Leadership Center sends a small group of student leaders to the LeaderShape Institute with the expectation that these student leaders will not only gain konwledge about their own leadership potential, but also bring back what they learned to contribute to leadership in the UC Merced community. This is a week-long leadership program at Dominican University of California. The LeaderShape Institute is grounded in helping individuals identify the values they hold that lead to making a difference in the communities around them. Through self-assessment, intensive small group discussions, team building challenges, and more, participants will develop a vision for something they care about. The event is held each year at Dominican University of California. LeaderShape has been postponed for the time-being, likely to return June 2023.
UC Sacremento Academic Internship | Click here for more information
With Sacramento being the capital of California, there is a lot of leadership happening here! UC Center Sacramento (UCCS) academic internship program participants earn UC credit, maintain their financial aid eligibility, and gain valuable work experience while interning in Sacramento. Internships are available for almost any major! Participants take classes with students from all UC campuses, which provides an intellectual and social community throughout the Fall, Spring or Summer.
UC Merced's Washington DC Program (UCDC) | Click here for more information
The Washington Program’s mission is to provide the highest quality experiential learning program for UC Mercced undergraduates by offering professional development and internship opportunities that help inform students' transition from study to professional practice. UC Merced students are strongly encouraged to supplement their undergraduate education with real-world, hands-on experiences through internships. The Washington Program (UCDC) offers eligible undergraduate students an exciting opportunity to combine course work, exciting field research and unparalleled internship experience during a semester's residence in our nation's capital. Students from any major have the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience with professionals and experts in fields that interest them.
Leadership & Social Justice Program (in Mexico & Sacremento) | Click here for more information
Build your leadership skills and explore social justice in the powerhouse political centers of Mexico City and Sacramento. Combining coursework and on-the-ground experience, learn how the politics and culture of Mexico inform California public policy-making. Starting in Mexico City, take university classes as you explore Mexico's political history. An optional internship could bring you anywhere from an NGO to Mexican Parliament. After class, visit Constitution Plaza, where locals celebrate the past and present with festivals and concerts. In Sacramento, further develop your leadership skills in an internship, buoyed by a seminar, in an area of your interest. Political science majors, media mavens, and business-minded will especially appreciate this program.
Develop Cultural Fluency as a leader by Studying Abroad | Click here for more information
Cultural Fluency is extremely important in leadership. Cultural fluency in leadership is the ability to accurately discern situations and adapt behaviors when working with people who are from different cultures than your own. We encourage students to study abroad in a country that offers the opportunity to experience a culture different from your own. This will help you develop your cultural fluency. If you do study abroad, we encourage you to ask questions of your professors and your peers abroad about what leadership looks like to them? What do they value in leadership? How does their culture influence their leadership? Listen to their experiences, and also reflect on your own. Studying abroad will allow you to get outside your comfort zone and learn more about others and yourself. Knowing yourself and understanding the world are two important factors when it comes to developing yourself as a leader! (Visit the UC Merced Study Abroad office. They are a team of friendly, knowledgeable who want to help you study abroad.)
