Welcome to Learning by Leading™ at American University

We are student leadership. We are community development. We are policy into action.

Learning by Leading™ fosters community-based student leadership projects that highlight how policy transforms into action. One initiative with many projects, LxL™️ acts locally while thinking globally. Students in this program graduate with hands-on experience solving real-world problems on campus and with connections to the D.C. community at large.

FAQs

LxL provides students with leadership skills and real-world experience to address sustainability issues.

The experiential model was funded by Chrissy Dewis at UC Davis before it gained notoriety for pushing students to learn through leading.

Stephanie DeStefano, the Grounds Operations Manager in Facility Management, brought LxL to American University. Learning by Leading™ at AU went on to enable the rise of sustainability clubs and inter-cooperation between them.

On-campus LxL™ sponsors The Community Garden, Beekeepers Society, Wonk Trade, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and the Food Waste Network. 

Off-campus LxL at AU is partnered with the Smithsonian Gardens through the Smithsonian Institution continuing to hand student’s the reins of environmental action.

The learning by leading model is a collaborative approach to projects. Our program encourages foreword environmental thinking; these student-led projects strive to implement the changes they’ve envisioned. Working with their fellow students, administrators, faculty, and outside parties students are able to make an impact.

LxL not only hands students the reins, but is a highly responsive program. Easy to get in touch with and under candid leadership, LxL wants our students to succeed.

Not only do we advocate for our clubs amongst administrative decision-making, but we provide them with opportunities to connect their projects to the greater D.C. area through our independent study program.

Like we said, LxL™️ wants students to take the lead. Getting involved with LxL™️ is made easy with this site.

If you’re interested in our sponsored sustainability clubs but unsure about signing up, look no further then the involvement page to see club overviews and updates. Whether or not you’re interested in club involvement, our independent study advisors are available to you through the contact page.

Independent study Program

In conjunction with American University guidelines, LxL has directed independent research projects in the past. Now we are working to take a more hands on approach in an effort to make the process easier on the educator and student. 

Learning by Leading at AU collaborates with sustainability professors across schools to provide options for all students interested in the environment. We work closest with Professor Sauleh Siddiqui and Professor Dhananjaya Katju, both of the Department of Environmental Science.

More about independent research projects can be found on the Independent Study page, contact information can be found on the Involvement page.

Student Job & Grant Opportunities

LxL Smithsonian Ambassador Intern

The Smithsonian Garden Ambassador Program seeks to empower youth leaders to become effective advocates for the environment through public outreach, cultural and environmental programming as well as conservation education. Participants must dedicate a minimum of three hours per week to receive academic credit. Click the job title to learn more.

Eagle Endowment: Turning Passions into Projects

The Eagle Endowment is intended to support groups in their earliest planning and implementation phases, providing them with seed funds to launch visions for service. Where many student groups lack funding for public and community projects, the EE provides an annual grant of $100 – $1000. Click the title to learn more.

American University Sustainability Fund

Open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighborhood residents, the AU Sustainability Fund provides financial and administrative support for campus sustainability projects. Each project can request $500 – $1,500 under AU guidelines. Click the title to learn more.

Land Acknowledgment

LxL™️ acknowledges the land we are learning and working on today is the wrongfully taken traditional and ancestral land of the Piscataway and Anacostian peoples.