LEAD Academy is robust, one-of-a kind youth leadership program that utilizes immersive experiences to empower emerging leaders to develop leadership qualities. We specifically select students who have the potential to be leaders, but may not see it in themselves. Participants spend a full week exploring the qualities that made Abraham Lincoln such a great leader in his day. They learn why those same qualities are so important in our leaders today, and how, as individuals, they can apply those qualities as they develop their own leadership skills for the future.
The LEAD Academy is a collaborative initiative developed by Looking for Lincoln, in partnership with Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the National Park Service; as well as Union Pacific Railroad, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois College. The Abraham Lincoln Association and the Illinois Extension 4-H Office are major supporters of the academy.