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BY EMILY COX

In 2013, amid the sticky August heat of Welcome Week, 66 freshmen crowded onto the first two floors of the newly renovated Briscoe Residence Center to take part in an ambitious experiment: to form the first class of the Civic Leaders Living-Learning Center (CLC).  

“All we had was a dream and a vision,” said Paul Helmke, professor of practice and director of the CLC. “But we recruited a really excellent first class, and they created the model and traditions that we still carry on today.”

The idea behind the CLC was to bring a group of civic-minded students together and help them develop their leadership potential early in their college careers. They’d build upon their first-year experience by taking part in additional programming at the O’Neill School, serving in clubs and organizations across the university, and eventually leading for the greater good in their communities. 

Has the experiment succeeded?

Helmke thinks so. He points to a long list of students who have held leadership positions with IU Student Government and Dance Marathon, served on IU’s Board of Aeons, been appointed to the IU Board of Trustees, and formed new clubs like Women in Government. He also points to the positive impact of the CLC on the O’Neill School.

“They’re the student ambassadors. They’re on the debate team, and they’re the TAs for the other classes,” Helmke said. “Without the Civic Leaders, the quality of student life at O’Neill would be a lot different.” 

And with 109 new students joining the program this fall, the experiment is far from over.

Ten years in, the basic formula of the CLC remains largely unchanged. First-year students still live together and take one class with O’Neill faculty, such as Senior Lecturer John Karaagac or Associate Professor Matt Baggetta, in Briscoe. They still travel together to Washington, D.C., every fall and participate in service projects in the Bloomington community. They attend regular seminars where they hear from politicians, journalists, and people like Lonnie Bedwell, an extreme adventure athlete who motivates students to craft a positive vision for their lives even though he, himself, is blind. They still kayak on lake day and learn the proper fork to choose during their annual etiquette dinner. And, they can still choose to cap their experience by spending their summer abroad studying the ancient roots of democracy in Athens, Greece. 

The program’s two biggest changes include increasing the cohort size and developing formal channels for hands-on leadership development and mentorship.

Approximately 100 students now inhabit the first three floors of Briscoe’s Gucker Tower. Helmke thinks they’ve found the sweet spot: large enough to meet demand, but small enough that students can still reasonably get to know each other.

Naturally, as the number of Civic Leaders has expanded, so has its alumni base. To harness this potential, the CLC now hosts an annual “All Class Dinner” and a mentorship program for returning Civic Leaders to engage with new students.

Becky Rosen, associate director of the CLC, points to these relationship-building opportunities as a major factor behind the program’s success.

“The professional development seminars we do—like resume building and how to give a good interview—offer skills that are generally helpful to most people. But what really makes a difference is connecting students with the Civic Leaders who came before,” Rosen said. “If you’re interested in a club or an organization, there is a strong chance a Civic Leader has been involved in the past, which gives you a foot in the door.”

CLC alum and former assistant director Savannah Wormley, BSPA’18, provides a model for what that might look like. Wormley recently started her second year of law school in Boston, after having worked in the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice. She credits the CLC with showing her the importance of finding a supportive community, especially when pursuing a career in public service.

“I still get so much joy from things like attending the D.C. alumni event, connecting with younger CLC students through phone calls and LinkedIn, and keeping in touch with the CLC through the Emerging Leaders Council,” Wormley said. “I’m very excited to watch our alumni network grow.” 

While professional success and public service are natural goals for Civic Leaders alumni, Helmke is most proud of the relationships they’ve formed along the way.

“What makes me feel good is to look at them on Facebook or Instagram and see that some of these people are still best friends,” Helmke said. “They’re in each other’s weddings; it’s who they travel with. So, you know—you put a good group together, and they develop good relationships. That will help them and, ultimately, help their communities.”