By Nick Lennon, co-director, Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement
Thirty-six George Mason University faculty, staff, and community members participated in a three-day Power + Character Train-the-Trainer program this summer, preparing them to incorporate civic learning activities into their work with students and communities.
George Mason’s Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement (CLIE) hosted the training July 27-29 in partnership with Citizen University, a national nonprofit focused on building a culture of civic participation.
“We wanted to provide Mason faculty and staff, as well as local community educators, with practical tools and resources they could use to help students explore the many forms of power that exist beyond formal leadership positions,” said Lisa Snyder, CLIE associate director. “We also wanted to offer approaches for fostering character development. The Power + Character program equips educators to help students think beyond just personal ambitions to consider their responsibility to others, as well as the positive impact they can have in their communities.”
The “Power + Character = Citizenship” program approaches citizenship as an ethical practice rather than a legal status. The training explores how identity, values, community, and agency influence participation in public life.
Through reflection, dialogue, and interactive activities, participants examined civic power, character development, critical thinking, and community connection. The training was designed to give educators activities and approaches they could adapt for classrooms, student groups, and community partnerships.
Post-program evaluations indicated that participants found value in both the concepts and their potential application. Ninety-five percent of respondents said the training helped them reflect on their own citizenship, clarified why civic skills and character matter in practice, and deepened their sense of responsibility for students’ civic growth. Ninety percent said they felt prepared to adapt the work to their own settings and would recommend the training to others.
One participant said they planned to incorporate discussion of “the sources of power and helping students to see they do have power and can use it for good, not just selfish purposes.”
Another described how the training could inform conversations with students. “This training helped me better frame how I can position the idea of community with my students and help them critically think about which communities they feel a part of or don’t feel a part of and why.”
A teacher with 28 years of experience said the activities offered new ways to engage students while connecting those activities to broader questions of civic development. “The activities were exactly the reason I came. I’m always looking for new engaging ways to hook students. But now it’s more than just a surface-level icebreaker that is a priority. Now, it’s helping develop students’ civility.”
Bringing together individuals from across George Mason and the surrounding community, the training provided a flexible framework for helping students connect power and purpose with ethical action.
University units supporting the program included:
- School of Integrative Studies
- Women and Gender Studies
- Academic Integrity
- Center for the Advancement of Well-Being
- Community Engagement and Civic Learning
- Contemporary Student Services
- International Programs and Services
- Learning Services
- Mason Recreation
- Student Conduct
- Student Health Services
- Student Involvement
- Student Media