Leadership Advantage was conceived and brought to life at Iowa State University in 1997 by Triangle Fraternity, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Iowa State Student Activities Center.  The first year the program held one session.  Fifteen participants stayed at the Triangle Fraternity house during the program and interacted in a variety of activities.  Participants were broken into three teams, each lead by two student facilitators, and did challenge course activities, visited with two local engineering firms, lunched with representatives from the different colleges, did a written leadership evaluation, and engaged in presentations by different college student organizations.  In addition, participants worked in teams on two different design projects.  Participants used on-campus resources including studios, computer labs, and architecture professors to develop projects.  The results were then presented on the final day of the seminar.

Response was so great to the program's first year that the following year two sessions were offered and filled, reaching a total of 44 students in 1998.  Since then, the program has continued to grow each year, completing its' seventh session over four years at Iowa State in June 2000.  Students at other universities have started to organize Leadership Advantage on their campuses as well.  Leadership Advantage sessions will be run for the first time at Colorado State University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Cincinnati.  By the end of the summer of 2000, over 200 people nationwide will have been part of the "Leadership Advantage family" over the course of four years.

At right, an upper level university administrator meeting with parents.

The goal for 2001 is to see Leadership Advantage continue to improve the quality of the sessions at the schools where it is established and also at least double the number of universities where the program is taking place.  To help make this happen, an independent not-for-profit organization will be formed to support Leadership Advantage nationally.  Resources are currently being pursued to make this possible, so the benefits of Leadership Advantage can be shared with as many students and schools across the country as possible.