Prescott, Arizona — Yavapai College will expand leadership opportunities for students through a $43,700 Capacity-Building Grant awarded by the Educating Character Initiative, a project of The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. The funding will strengthen the Students of Leadership (SOL) program and support the launch of the new Leadership Odyssey, which will introduce additional pathways that help students build leadership skills, character, confidence, and career readiness.
Through the new Leadership Odyssey, Yavapai College students will have more ways to develop as leaders while choosing a journey that fits their goals, schedules, and learning preferences.
“This grant will empower Yavapai College to expand and strengthen our leadership program, giving more students the opportunity to grow as leaders of character and deepen their sense of belonging and civic responsibility,” said Tania Sheldahl, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Yavapai College. “We are grateful for the partnership and investment in our students’ growth and success.”
“The Leadership Odyssey allows us to meet students wherever they are in their leadership journey,” said Janice Soutee, M.Ed., Director of Student Engagement and Leadership at Yavapai College. “We know that leadership development is not one-size-fits-all. By creating multiple pathways, students can choose experiences that fit their goals, schedules, and interests while building skills, confidence, and meaningful connections that will serve them well beyond their time at Yavapai College.”
The Leadership Odyssey is built around four themes: Explore. Learn. Lead. Transform. These themes encourage students to view leadership as an ongoing journey of discovery, growth, and experience.
The program will offer students four pathways that allow them to explore leadership through mentorship, service, online learning, collaboration, and real-world experiences.
Leadership Odyssey pathways include:
Students of Leadership (SOL): A two-semester cohort experience where students build foundational leadership skills, connect with others, serve their communities, and grow through hands-on experiences.
Mentorship: A 10-week intensive experience focused on mentorship, skill development, personalized feedback, and real-world leadership practice.
Virtual Edge: A flexible, self-paced online pathway that allows students to strengthen leadership and career-ready skills around their individual schedules and goals.
Leadership Fusion: A blended pathway combining online learning with in-person engagement, service experiences, and collaborative projects for up to two semesters.
Students can choose the pathway that best fits where they are in their leadership journey while developing skills they can use in college, the workplace, and their communities.
The Leadership Odyssey will help students strengthen communication, collaboration, problem-solving, time management, self-awareness, confidence, and other durable skills valued by employers. Students will also have opportunities to make meaningful connections, explore their strengths, serve others, and put leadership into practice.
The Leadership Odyssey will establish a new framework for leadership and character development at Yavapai College, giving students opportunities to apply learning through mentorship, service, and experiential education while building skills that support academic success, career readiness, and meaningful community engagement.
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, six baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.