Despite gains over the past decades, women and girls continue to be underrepresented in leadership and key professional positions.

Through Leadership and Training Institute (LTI) programs, women and girls acquire the skills they need to succeed and assume leadership roles in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

The institute's program supports a number of significant activities:

• Campus Action Projects - To give campus professionals and students the necessary tools to help improve campus environments, the institute supports projects at universities around the country by providing small grants and technical assistance. The goals of this initiative are to create action on campus through exceptional projects and to provide an avenue for ongoing leadership training and support of women leaders.
• National Conference for College Women Student Leaders - Designed for college and university women in campus or community leadership roles this annual conference offers students an opportunity to gather the information, skills, and resources needed to embrace today's leadership challenges. Students from across the nation attend to interact with top women professionals; hone skills in leadership, advocacy, civic engagement, networking, and career planning; build relationships with peers and other women who can support their professional and personal growth; and create practical solutions to challenges on their campuses and in their communities.
• National Student Advisory Council - Our national council of student leaders that advise on and implement AAUW strategies for the future of young women and girls.
• Campaign College - AAUW has joined in a new partnership with American University's Women and Politics Institute and Running Start to encourage and train women to run for student government on their college campus. AAUW hosted a Campaign College training at the 2008 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, training over 30 young women to run for student government and encouraging them to bring this training to their campus. Spring pilot sites for the training will be at Iowa State University, Nyack College (NYC Campus), and the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. For more information about this program or about bringing it to your local campus, please contact lti@aauw.org.
• AAUW Leadership Development DVD/CD - The Leadership Development DVD/CD is designed to be an accessible training tool and resource for state and branch leaders on a wide array of AAUW programs and projects. This webinar reviews the DVD, the components of its seven modules, and step-by-step instructions for using the materials to create an interactive education program.

AAUW currently provides a variety of leadership resources to members and nonmembers, from leadership opportunities within the organization, to the opportunity to network with women nationwide at national, regional and local meetings, to toolkits and best practice examples. Explore the leadership opportunities and resources available.

The institute relies on contributions and grants to support its work, and so we invite you to contribute to the Leadership and Training Institute.

For more information on AAUW's Leadership and Training Institute, please e-mail lti@aauw.org.