THE BUTLER WAY FUTURE-FOCUSED LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Organization name: Butler University
Program Type
Leadership skills & college/career prep programs
Ages Served:
12-18 Years
Overview
Brief Program Summary: Each summer, the Butler University College of Education (COE) offers
a leadership development experience for local high school students. Butler University targets
recruitment efforts in Center Township high schools, and intentionally works to engage
participants from historically underserved backgrounds, including Black and Latinx high school
students. Previous iterations of the leadership experience were named Butler Way Leadership
Camps and each year of camp followed a unique theme (ex: College, Career, & Community). In
response to increased calls to break down the silos of secondary ed, higher ed, and the workforce,
the COE faculty re-imagined the camp for 2021. High school students who participated in the
2021 leadership development opportunity, The Butler Way Future-Focused Leadership Academy,
engaged in a leadership development curriculum created by graduate students in Butler’s
Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals and informed by three key resources: 1)
Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines by Jamie Merisotis, 2) Class Disrupted podcast
hosted by Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner, and 3) An American Imperative: A New Vision of
Public Schools a report from the Learning 2025: National Commission on Student-Centered,
Equity-Focused Education.
2021 Academy participants received a non-credit bearing certificate of completion from the
College of Education. For iterations of the Academy beyond 2021, Butler is exploring the
possibility of offering camp completers the option to enroll in a credit bearing early college
experience that would offer students high value credits that would be transferable to higher
education institutions across Indiana while building high school students’ confidence in their ability
to succeed in higher education. This approach is aligned with the Butler Beyond Strategic
Direction.
Success Metrics: One example of impact is the school service/change project each high school
team develops during the leadership experience and executes in the school year following
participation.
Demographics
Number Served & Racial Distribution:
Total Number of Individuals Annually Served
70
Black or African Americans Annually Served
0%
Hispanic or Latinos Annually Served
0%
Geographic Scope:
− Central Indiana Counties: Marion
− Additional/Other Areas of Focus: Center Township
Resources
Annual Operating Cost: N/A
Initial Start-Up Cost: N/A
Contact Information
Organization Name: Butler University
Website: https://www.butler.edu/
Respondents Name: Jonathan Purvis
Email: jpurvis@butler.edu