Emerging Leaders

For over 25 years, MSU’s Emerging Leaders Program has been providing potential school principals an opportunity to explore in detail the knowledge, skillsets, and mindsets required to be a successful leader in today’s complex educational environments. This intimate, 3-day experience connects emerging educational leaders with highly successful assistant principals, principals, and superintendents. Together, they explore the joys and challenges inherent in the principalship. This event is held in July of each year in collaboration with the statewide elementary and secondary principals associations.

Topics Include

  • Matching Personal Skills to Roles of the Principal
  • Personal Temperament: Implications for Your Role as Principal
  • Leadership and the Principal: A Panel of Principals
  • Supporting Student and Adult Mental Health and Well-Being
  • Supporting Leadership Roles: A Panel of Assistant Principals
  • Climate and Culture in Schools
  • The Value of Association Memberships
  • Connections to Build Across the Organization
  • The Administrative Certification Process
  • Competence & Confidence: Preparing Yourself and Your Resumé
  • Advocacy for the Field
  • Getting a Job: Strategies for the Principalship

2025 Emerging Leaders Program

Date: July 8-10, 2025

Location: Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, 219 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI

Cost: $350 per person, which includes registration, materials, breakfast, and lunch each day.

Lodging: Lodging is not included but is available at the Kellogg Center, East Lansing, MI. Book online at kelloggcenter.com by following the steps below or call (517)432-4000, and ask for reservations to book. Reference Emerging Leaders for a discounted rate of $129 per night for a standard room.

Steps to book your reservation online:

  • Go to kelloggcenter.com
  • Click on “Book Now” at the bottom right of the screen
  • Input your desired dates
  • Click the + next to “add code”
  • Switch “Promotion Code” to “GROUP CODE”
  • Enter in Group Code:  2507EMERGI

SCECHs: 19 SCECHs will be offered (pending MDE approval) at no cost to you.

Agenda: View our preliminary agenda here.

Registration: Registration for the Emerging Leaders 2025 Program is now open.

Micro-Credential: Emerging Leaders 2025 has been approved for an MSU College of Education micro-credential. To receive a micro-credential you will be asked to complete an assignment to demonstrate your learning, which will be discussed during the program. You will have time after the conference for project completion.

For questions regarding the Emerging Leaders Program, please contact Megan Papoi, mpapoi@msu.edu.