On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Department of Leadership & Organizational Studies, in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs, hosted the New England Regional Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) at the McGoldrick Center for Career and Student Success in Portland, Maine.
The event brought together college students from across the state to showcase and learn about leadership skills through a series of activities.
Competing schools included Bowdoin College, the University of Maine Farmington (UMF), Wheaton College, and two teams from USM. Over the course of the day, the teams took part in six activities designed to assess key leadership skills such as teamwork, communication, strategic thinking, and conflict resolution.
Judges included volunteers from the USM and UMF communities, local business, and USM CLC alumni. They evaluated each team’s performance and at the conclusion of the competition, USM Team One earned first place among the participating teams. They were coached by Professor Dan Jenkins, who teaches in the Leadership and Organizational Studies Department and prepared the team for this competition over the last 10 weeks.
USM Team Two placed second and the University of Maine Farmington finished third.
The CLC offers students a valuable opportunity to develop and practice leadership skills while networking with peers from other colleges. By hosting the event, USM reinforced its commitment to student development and experiential learning, providing a dynamic and engaging environment for future leaders to grow.