2021-22 Impact Report: ELD

U . S . N AVA L A C A D E M Y A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N A N D F O U N D AT I O N

2021–2022 IMPACT REPORT:

CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

2021–2022 IMPACT REPORT

CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Naval Academy Leadership Conference 2022

FIELD-BASED LEADERSHIP PRACTICUMS

CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (ELD)

The following wilderness leadership experiences, National Outdoor Leadership School and The Chesapeake Bay

COLONEL MARIA “MJ” PALLOTTA ‘94, USMCR

Outward Bound School, are designed to support and

Director of the Center for Experiential Leadership Development

complement classroom leadership theory by allowing students to execute and reflect on real-world decision making in austere, unpredictable and dynamic wilderness

CHARDELL MCCRORY

environments with immediate consequences.

Education Technician

SUMMARY

NOLS QUOTE:

The Center for Experiential Leadership Development (ELD) is the bridge between the Leadership, Education &

“A life-changing training opportunity that I will never

Development (LEAD) Division’s curricular programs within

forget. I learned a great deal about peer leadership,

the Leadership, Ethics and Law Department and USNA

competency in an unknown environment and being

experiential leader programs. ELD’s purpose is to draw

mindful of living in the moment.”

connections between the behavioral science theory taught

–MIDN MAXIMUS LEAR ’24

in the classroom and experiential leadership practice.

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CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL (NOLS)

difference, are designed and delivered by a community of

NOLS focuses on four types of leadership: Directed

instructors. Additionally, during Spring Break, midshipmen

the industry’s most skilled and dedicated educators and participate in a five-day hike along the Appalachian Trail

leadership, peer leadership, active followership and self-

with veterans from USNA and the community in a one-

leadership. During the summer of 2022, 84 midshipmen

on-one mentoring and leadership expedition. This year,

attended four types of courses in Wyoming and Alaska.

18 midshipmen participated in the Spring Break hike, and eight midshipmen participated in the summer block

CHESAPEAKE BAY OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL (CBOBS)

expedition.

The Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School courses meet the needs of midshipmen and USNA’s demand for small

OUTWARD BOUND QUOTE:

unit leadership experiences.

“Outward Bound provided a fantastic experience for During the summer course, CBOBS promotes effective

learning peer-to-peer leadership while having a fun

teamwork and leadership development by providing

time with our crew. Canoe camping on the Potomac

wilderness expeditions and training that emphasizes

and backpacking in the Dolly Sods wilderness fostered

the ideals of character, leadership and service. This

teamwork and close friendships amongst the crew

transformative learning experience, where students

members that I will never forget.”

develop new technical skills as well as a sense of

–A.J. MERRILL ’25

teamwork, self-confidence and a desire to make a

Outward Bound teamwork and leadership development hike on the Appalachian Trail

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2021–2022 IMPACT REPORT

GETTYSBURG LEADERSHIP ENCOUNTER (GLE)

opportunities for engagement, education and experiences

The Class of ’77 Gettysburg Leadership Encounter

USNA, the Fleet, and the Operating Forces. The Network

with officers and graduates, cultivating an inclusive and diverse mentoring network of women and men from

occurred for the Class of 2023 Brigade leaders over two

typically involves 400–500 midshipmen annually and

days in June on the battlefield and at Gettysburg College.

provides Lean-in Circle opportunities, as well as four

Varsity team captains and Brigade leadership learned

networking events throughout the year to foster mentoring

about the responsibilities and challenges of command

and future retention of women service members.

through lessons from the iconic U.S. Civil War battle.

During the 2021–22 academic year, four networking and

Midshipman leaders attended classes and break-out

mentoring events occurred in various venues on and

discussions covering the leadership tenets of loyalty,

off the Yard, including the annual Military Leadership

standards and action. The battlefield study enabled

Symposium, which occurred at the Graduate Hotel in

networking and team building through a cohesive network

February. Lean-in Circles continued throughout the year.

of peer support that facilitates critical professional relationships within the Brigade during the academic year.

ST. BENEDICT’S PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL

During the academic year, these leaders met monthly before first period to discuss current leadership trends and challenges within the Brigade.

St. Benedict’s Preparatory H.S. provides select midshipmen an experiential leadership development opportunity in

THE NETWORK

small unit leadership and mentorship responsibilities in a diverse and unfamiliar environment. St. Benedicts’

The Network empowers and equips midshipmen

Prep is a co-ed Benedictine Catholic secondary school

to navigate careers as leaders through increased

in Newark, NJ serving approximately 600 students in

Gettysburg Leadership Encounter (GLE) teaching Varsity team captains and Brigade leadership about the responsibilities and challenges of command.

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CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

NAVAL ACADEMY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (NALC)

grades 9–12, many of whom are underprivileged. (2020 was the first year that St. Ben’s accepted female students).

During zero block, midshipmen lead small teams of

In January 2022, the midshipmen NALC Staff hosted

freshmen on the Appalachian Trail for five days. During

more than 400 students and faculty from over 70 schools,

third block, midshipmen spend the first week on campus

including 10 U.S. and international service academies, for a

helping the staff and upper-class leadership team run

4-day conference examining the importance of teamwork,

an indoctrination period for the incoming freshmen. The

mentoring and coaching. The theme for NALC 2022

following weeks are spent helping in the classrooms,

was Resilience Rising: Forging through Adversity. Panels

mentoring students and executing an experiential

included Global Perspectives on Resilience and Combat

leadership development course for St. Benedicts, like the

Resilience Through and Beyond the Fight. The Forrestal

plebe leadership course. Approximately 30 midshipmen

Lecture was given by General Eric Smith, USMC, Assistant

per year participate, honing their leadership skills,

Commandant of the Marine Corps. Other speakers of note

developing mentoring relationships with the students

included Lieutenant Jason Redman, USN (Ret.), author,

that often continue for many years and gaining a better

speaker, and retired U.S. Navy SEAL; Mr. Jeff Hunt, Partner

understanding of the vast array of social and cultural

at Legend Labs; and Mr. Peter DeMarco, Army Veteran,

dynamics that they will likely encounter once they

Leadership and Executive Coach and International

graduate and begin leading sailors and Marines.

Business Executive.

SISTERS ACADEMY OF NEW JERSEY

NL425 ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP COURSE

Sisters Academy operates on an 11-month, extended-day school year model and provides support for preadolescent girls (grades 5–8). The program helps students realize

Engineering Leadership (NL425), is offered by the

their potential by using education and mentorship as

Aerospace Engineering Department as an upper-

their tools for success. Two midshipmen are invited

level humanities course to better prepare students for

to participate in professional training in experiential

leadership and project management roles in a more

leadership via a combination of practical experience and

technical and experiential environment. During the

guided reflection. As mentors and role models, these

practical application projects, which seek to replicate a

midshipmen strengthen their creative problem-solving

technical environment, students are expected to display

skills, enhance their innovative thinking and hone their

project management and technical leadership skills while

ability to adapt to dynamic situations.

working in teams. In order to achieve this objective, NL425’s curriculum addresses three areas: leading engineers’ teams, leading engineers’ work, and leading

OUTDOOR ODYSSEY

engineers’ innovation. The course provides instruction using lectures, reading assignments, classroom discussion,

Four midshipmen were selected to serve as counselors

group projects and various experiential learning activities

and mentors at the Outdoor Odyssey camp in Boswell,

with content that focuses on the following themes:

PA, founded by Major General T.S. Jones, USMC (Ret).

communication, team dynamics, leadership styles,

They spend the first week leading high schoolers from

creativity and project management. The course is

Florida, serving as counselors and platoon commanders,

currently taught by CAPT Ken Reightler, USN (Ret.), a

concluding with a military-style Crucible experience. The

former NASA astronaut.

remainder of the time is dedicated to training high school seniors to be mentors for younger at-risk middle schoolers who spend summer days at the camp. Approximately 25 college-age counselors work at Outdoor Odyssey each summer, several of whom are NROTC students.

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2021–2022 IMPACT REPORT

COMBINED ELD—IPO BATTLE SITES LREC

military and cultural lessons learned from these key WWII

Combined IPO–ELD LREC trips provide select midshipmen

headquarters, the nuclear bomb pits for the Enola Gay

battles. Important sites included stops at all three landing beaches, as well as Saipan’s Suicide Cliffs and Japanese

an opportunity to interact with foreign overseas cultures

and Bockscar B-29s on Tinian, and the war memorials

and the history of U.S. diplomatic and military involvement

of Guam. The group learned about ancient Chamorro

before, during and after various conflicts in order to instill

culture, including canoe carving, latte stones, and palm

broadened understanding of cross-cultural dynamics

weaving and snorkeled among the wrecks and Sherman

within a conflict setting.

tanks still resting off Saipan. Finally, since the Class of 2023 was unable to complete PROTRAMID training, the

In 2022, seven midshipmen and two staff (Col M.J.

group toured various military commands, including Camp

Pallotta, USMCR, and Capt Bob Qu, USMC) participated

Blaz on Guam, as well as the Pacific Fleet Headquarters,

in a battlefield study of the Marianas Islands, including

Kaneohe Bay and Arizona and Missouri monuments on the

Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. The group read books, taught

way back to Annapolis through Hawaii.

each other classes and wrote a blog to capture important

Marianas Battlefield LREC

THANK YOU ELD is essential to bring transformative experiences to midshipmen so that they can take on modern leadership challenges.

Thanks to your support, the Naval Academy can continue to create strong leaders and shape midshipmen into the dedicated future officers they will become.

COLONEL MARIA “MJ” PALLOTTA ‘94, USMCR

Director of the Center for Experiential Leadership Development

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