LEAD is a life-transforming week featuring authentic leadership simulations in the legislative, film, journalism, judicial, engineering, campaign, and business fields all under the direction of Christian professionals.
Teens learn valuable life skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, strategic planning, and effective communication.
While being engaged in high-level leadership roles, they are also inspired to apply Biblical and moral principles in their own life and the world around them.
LEAD Dates 2026:
Week 1: June 14-19, 2026
Week 2: July 12-17, 2026
Week 3: July 26-31, 2026
Become a state representative for a week! Students begin their LEAD experience by being challenged to think critically about current issues through role-playing as state lawmakers and discussing actual bills from the Michigan legislature. Students are assigned to work in caucuses to support and oppose assigned bills. They learn the process of how a bill becomes a law as well as the responsibilities of citizenship. Each caucus utilizes the SSI Media team to bring attention to their sponsored bill by calling a Press Conference.
I enjoyed going to the Capitol for the committee meetings and the mock legislature because it was so much like the real-life process. I really enjoyed the daily devotions & worship, and learned how to be a productive Christian citizen.
This is a great opportunity for our young people and leaders. This is a great process to help students become engaged citizens.
“It was an incredible learning experience for me. It took everything that I had been taught about government for the past twelve years, and gave me a hands-on learning experience. I know that I learned more in my one week of SSI then I have through my entire school career.”
Come be the eyes and ears of LEAD! Become a member of the LEAD News Network to create the daily print newspaper, The Leader, and multiple video broadcasts throughout the week. The students who sign up for the Journalism Track dedicate themselves to keeping the public informed about what is going on in the LEAD world. They cover everything including lectures, special speakers, caucus meetings, press conferences, trips to the Capitol, recreational activities, Committee Hearings, final presentations, and much more.
Media students focus on:
Like each LEAD track, experts coach the students. These include reporters, press secretaries, and communications specialists who volunteer their time and expertise. Journalism Track students experience both the print and broadcast sides of the journalism world through their LEAD experience.
The kids are just amazing, they seem to already have an idea of what they need to do. They just need a little bit of instruction to motivate them and get them to that next step.
My experience at the program went beyond my expectations. We met and talked with real politicians, reporters, and editors. I would never have that chance anywhere else! Thank you!
Act as company executives in a competitive simulation! Teams go head-to-head as they become a business management team responsible for taking over and managing an existing company that generates 40 million dollars per year in revenue. Students learn basic business principles and make critical decisions in production, marketing, and finance. Business leaders and professionals present on how we can be Biblical stewards of ideas, people, attitudes, and resources. At the end of the week, each team makes an investor presentation to the rest of camp in which they seek to raise capital for their companies.
Business students focus on the following:
With my entrepreneurial spirit and strong competitive attitude, the Business Track was perfect for me. Actually, I’m thinking more seriously now about business as an area of study and career choice.
Business students make an investor presentation toward the end of the week promoting the performance of their company. It is an intense, competitive environment and it immerses you in the action. It’s a blast!
Raise the stakes in this enhanced simulation as teams confront new challenges including human relations, supply chain management, and crisis events. Coached by business professors and professionals who present on topics including business ethics and persuasion principles, this advanced simulation takes Business to the next level!
The main function I think is it puts them in contact with other Christians who are engaged in making a difference in our society in the right ways and for the right reasons.
Train as prosecution or defense attorneys in this exciting simulation of a civil trial from opening arguments to closing statements! Teams participate in mock criminal and civil trials before a jury of peers, who decide the verdict and real judges, who critique team strategy and individual presentation skills following each trial. Students study elements of our legal system through coaching by gifted attorneys and receive biblical worldview instruction focused on how we can strive for excellence.
Mock Trial students focus on the elements of a trial, including:
“The Mock Trial track was very intense. I gave it my best. I laughed, cried, and worked harder than I’ve ever worked in my life. This was the best week of my life”
Learn constitutional law, ethics, and debate while preparing to argue a case before a panel of judges and exploring the appellate court system. Legal professors, attorneys, and judges provide the Moot Court students with critiques and instructions on their presentations in court and throughout the week. This intensive training challenges each student’s critical thinking and presentation skills.
It was a pleasure listening to and questioning the students participating in the SSI Moot Court Competition. Each of the four participants were able to properly articulate their positions, even when being faced with many questions from the bench. They performed as if they had already completed college, undergraduate school and law school.
Moot Court students focus on the elements of arguing a case, including:
They got rid of a lot of preconceptions I’d had about law and taught us so much in so little time.
The Campaign Track, offered Week 3, is political involvement like never experienced before!
Compete against other teams in a candidate’s gubernatorial primary election! During the week, students act as key members of a candidate’s campaign staff creating policy platforms, voter outreach strategies, and more. Teams work together to raise, manage, and allocate funds appropriately, understand campaign ethics, and convince the public through “door to door” campaigning. Students face off in a debate promoting their candidate in an effort to explain their policies and win the vote of the public!
Campaign students learn the following:
The Campaign Track combines attributes from each track, working on legislation like in the HOUSE, changing legislation like the SENATE, arguing with your opponent like MOCK TRIAL, getting asked questions like MOOT COURT, creating a campaign plan like BUSINESS and advertising and interacting with the public like MEDIA! I think this might be my favorite track of all…
“The Campaign track taught me how to handle particularly stressful situations head on”
