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Expanding Leadership Education Through Partnership: Affiliate Programs at the Center for Leadership

At the Center for Leadership (CFL), we know that meaningful growth happens when people and programs connect across disciplines, perspectives, and experiences.

Nine CU Boulder faculty and staff sit in two rows in front of the Flatirons

One of our most impactful strategies is our Affiliate Network, a community of leadership programs across CU Boulder united by a shared commitment to student leadership development. In the 2024–2025 academic year, we welcomed seven new affiliates, bringing our total to 40 affiliate programs serving more than 12,000 students each year.

What Is an Affiliate Program?

Affiliate programs are existing efforts on campus—academic departments, student organizations, centers, fellowships, and more—that intentionally integrate leadership education into their work with undergraduate or graduate students. These programs offer leadership in many forms: classroom learning, mentoring, outdoor expeditions, service, and more. This diversity ensures every CU Boulder student can develop leadership skills in ways that resonate with their passions and learning styles.

Affiliates also gain access to shared resources, community events, professional development, and exclusive student programs like the Newton Leadership Fellows and our Coaching Program.

From Listening to Action: The Creation of A-Lab

In 2024, CFL conducted a comprehensive listening tour, meeting one-on-one with over two-thirds of our affiliates. Three clear themes emerged:

  • Desire for context – Better understanding of CFL’s mission and operations.
  • Diverse goals – Programs vary widely in needs and expectations.
  • Call for collaboration – A strong interest in deeper, more intentional partnerships.

Rather than simply collecting feedback, we turned these insights into action, launching A-Lab (Affiliate Lab), a yearlong professional development and grant program designed to elevate the quality and impact of leadership education across CU Boulder.

International Leadership Association Leadership Educators Academy attendees posing on a staircase
A-Lab and the ILA Leadership Education Academy: Global Learning, Local Impact

To create A-Lab, we partnered with the International Leadership Association (ILA) to bring its world-renowned Leadership Education Academy (LEA) to Boulder for the first time. LEA is a four-day, immersive institute that equips leadership educators with the tools, frameworks, and strategies to design and deliver transformative leadership learning experiences.

Across sessions such as Families of Theories, Course and Program Design, Teaching and Learning Strategies, and Peer Coaching, participants explored the art and science of leadership education. LEA blends theory, practice, and reflection, guiding educators to develop their own vision for leadership learning and concrete plans to bring it to life.

Through A-Lab, CFL fully funded nine affiliate directors to attend LEA. Immediately following the institute, we hosted a personalized CU Day, a working session where these directors applied their new skills to design innovative initiatives for their programs. Each proposal is eligible for three years of CFL funding, giving affiliates the runway to implement bold ideas with lasting impact.

This combination of world-class training, collaborative design, and sustained investment makes A-Lab a first-of-its-kind model for advancing leadership education on campus.

Looking Ahead

With nearly 40,000 students on campus, scaling meaningful leadership education requires collaboration across contexts, disciplines, and communities. The Affiliate Network, strengthened by the A-Lab model, is our blueprint for ensuring leadership at CU Boulder is equitable, accessible, and relevant for all students.

To our affiliates and partners: thank you for your vision, creativity, and commitment. Together, we’re building a leadership culture that will serve CU Boulder for years to come.