Courage to Lead

The Courage to Lead team together with Director of Programs Jana Mader at a leadership conference at Mohonk Mountain House —a dedicated group of peer leaders working to foster a campus culture rooted in empathy, dialogue, and shared responsibility.

The Program

Courage to Lead is a student-driven program that empowers Bard students to step into leadership with purpose, integrity, and imagination. Designed and facilitated by students, this initiative invites peers to develop the skills and sensibilities needed to lead in today’s complex world—not through authority, but through collaboration, listening, and moral clarity.

Grounded in the political and ethical thought of Hannah Arendt and rooted in the practices of facilitative leadership, Courage to Lead offers a space to reflect deeply on what it means to act with courage and responsibility in community. Through student-led workshops, interactive dialogues, hands-on projects, and guided reflection, participants explore how to foster trust, navigate disagreement, and create environments where diverse perspectives are welcomed and engaged.

This program is not about having all the answers. It’s about learning to ask better questions, building the capacity to hold space for others, and practicing the kind of leadership that empowers collective action and shared understanding.

For more information, contact Jana Mader, Director of Academic Programs at [email protected]

Project Gallery

The Future is Now: Leadership in a Critical Time

HAC Student Fellows joined a leadership conference organized by Mohonk Consultations for a day of uplifting stories and insightful discussions about how we can work together to inspire new leaders and help them succeed.
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Workshop with Malia DuMont

Malia Du Mont—Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College—led an inspiring leadership workshop for Hannah Arendt Center fellows drawing on her background in national security and strategic leadership.
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Compassion Leadership Project

In collaboration with Professor Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron and her class on compassionate leadership, students created a reflective zine that explores the intersections of empathy, mindfulness, and social action.
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JOY Conference Engagement Activity

After weeks of tabling all over campus, Courage to Lead fellows asked at JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times, "What Brings You Joy?" The answers, written on orange circles (from the conference logo which they advised on during the design phase) created a mural.
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Campus Clean-Up

Students organize and lead a college-wide clean-up initiative, putting leadership into practice through collective action, environmental stewardship, and care for the Bard community.
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