Ready to Lead - and Succeed?

Every individual has unique talents that can lend themselves to powerful leadership. At the Advanced Leadership Immersion you'll gain the skills and knowledge to let your leadership light shine.

About the Advanced Leadership Immersion

Whether or not you’ve ever thought of yourself as a leader before, this Immersion will rock your idea of your own potential.  You’ll gain key skills, insight into your own strengths and biases, and strategies to strengthen your ability to lead anything – whether you take on a project, a business or a social movement.

With other young leaders from all over the state, we’ll try on leadership roles in simulations, examine ethics, debate leadership risks and responsibilities, and talk with renowned leaders about their paths.  This is a fun, challenging journey into amplifying your personal power to lead.

At This Immersion You Will

  • Have fireside chats and Q&A with Vermont leaders
  • Explore your own personal strengths, weaknesses, and passions as a leader
  • Collaborate in small groups to organize and lead projects and discussions
  • Enjoy optional virtual or in-person game/movie nights and social events
  • Participate in activities and games designed to expand your perspective and understanding of leadership
  • Answer tough questions like “who do leaders have a responsibility to listen to?” and “how does a leader elevate voices?”
  • Learn how to create and sustain equitable leadership practices
  • Unpack implicit biases
  • Explore the different forms of leadership and how/why they work

Structure and Schedule

This is GIV’s first-ever fall/spring online Immersion, running from October 2020 through May 2021. You can expect approximately 6 hours of scheduled activities on the second Saturday and Sunday of each month, and another 6 hours per month of self-scheduled activity, plus some other games and options just for fun.  If circumstances permit there will be in-person gatherings in late spring 2021.

We’re grateful to produce this with in collaboration with Lauren Traister, 4-H and UVM Extension.

Advanced Leadership Faculty

Kaomi Taylor-Mitchell

Kaomi Taylor Mitchell has been the Executive Director of the Governor's Institutes of Vermont (GIV) for the last decade as it has doubled enrollment and received the New England Board of Higher Education's award for excellence. She is equally proud of previously helping to turn around three failing organizations in both professional and volunteer roles. She is a former consultant and professor of business, public policy and ethics with St. Michael's and Champlain Colleges, a former gubernatorial appointee to the VT Workforce Development Council, and the founding president of an international grantmaking foundation. Kaomi holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and an American Literature degree from Middlebury College.

Hal Colsten

Hal was named the 2014 “Vermonter of the Year” by the Burlington Free Press. He now works part-time teaching at UVM and Vermont Adult Learning while working as a facilitator for the Snelling Center for Government and the Peace and Justice Center. Hal has served on many non-profit boards such as the HowardCenter, United Way of Chittenden County, VNA of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties as chair, Vermont Health Foundation as chair and the Center for Whole Communities as chair. He serves on the board of the Richard and Barbara Snelling Center for Government, Vermont PBS, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Hal is committed to social justice and has engaged our Vermont community in many different ways over the years to help it become what it ought to become, a beloved community for all. Hal is a Winooski City Councilor elected in 2018 and was appointed by Governor Phil Scott on January 23, 2019 as State Representative for Winooski.

Lauren Traister

Lauren Traister is a 4-H youth leadership specialist with the University of Vermont Extension Service. 4-H is an innovator in developing youth leadership and engaging youth in programs, organizations, and communities where they share a voice, influence and decision-making authority. In her 17 years working for 4-H, Lauren has created several teen leadership programs including the award-winning Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) for the Environment, VTeen Leadership Weekend, VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafe, TRY 4-H Science, TRY 4-H, VTeen Trail Stewards, Youth Environmental Summit and the Natural Resources Management Academy. She loves to help young people find their purpose and passion, their voice and their skills to take leadership roles in their communities. Lauren holds Masters in Natural Resources Planning from the University of Vermont and a Political Science degree from Brown University.

Take your leadership to the next level!

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