Carnegie Mellon University

CMU students attend the Emerging Leaders Retreat at Camp Guyasuta in Sharpsburg, PA, in January 2024.

Student Affairs  ›  Community Engagement & Leadership Development  ›  Student Leadership Development  ›  Emerging Leaders

Emerging Leaders

A long-standing CMU tradition for first-year students, Emerging Leaders (EL) promotes the development of leadership skills through the lens of community engagement and social action.

For more information about the Emerging Leaders program, contact Justin Pearl via email or at 412-268-8704.

 

Application

Registration for the Spring 2026 program is open now. Apply to Emerging Leaders today!

Nomination

Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate first-year undergraduate students who exhibit leadership potential and a passion for community engagement or social change. Nominate a student today!

Emerging Leaders Framework

Emerging Leaders is guided by the Leadership Challenge model, developed by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. Based upon thousands of interviews and case studies, Leadership Challenge highlights five core practices of good leadership:

  • Model the Way
  • Inspire a Shared Vision
  • Challenge the Process
  • Enable Others to Act
  • Encourage the Heart