About
STEM Programs at Center for Leadership Development (CLD) include hands-on learning about engineering concepts, group projects with Purdue engineering students and faculty, and hands-on projects in agriculture. Participants interact closely with medical students and professionals at Eskenazi Health Services, shadow trauma services staff, and tour Eskenazi Hospital. Students also participate in STEM activities, learn about STEM resources, information and opportunities, and take part in a week-long MEAP-ACE summer camp that exposes students to college-level education and experiences.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Schedule: Six-week class (SAT Prep); paid, eight-week summer program (Lilly Summer Experience); eight weekly sessions (Precious Miss); six weekly sessions (Project MR.); four-week high school readiness program (Success Prep); one-day experience (Role Model/Advisor Experience); eight-week journey (Jr. Self Discovery); six-week summer reading program (Imani Book Club); week-long MEAP-ACE summer camp
STEM Programs at CLD are part of more than twenty Indianapolis Youth Development programs for middle and high school students and their parents or supportive adults, and all experiences are based on core values of character, education, leadership, service, and career. Participants research post-secondary education choices, arrange campus visits, prepare strong admissions applications, and attend college readiness workshops. The College Prep Institute offers academic assessments, homework help, and study sessions and free tutoring in math and science, foreign languages, social studies, reading, and language arts, including Spanish, French, math, language arts, reading, science, and social studies tutoring.
The programs include a six-week class providing insight, test-taking strategies, and practical training to improve math and verbal/written scores, as well as a four-week high school readiness program that culminates in a college tour. One-day Role Model/Advisor Experience sessions allow youth and their parents to meet with professionals from career fields that match the student's individual career aspirations. CLD also offers a six-week summer reading program where students improve reading and comprehension skills and learn about reasons to appreciate the written word.
STEM Programs at CLD connect students with top African American professionals who share details of their education, work ethics, daily routine, personal challenges, and opportunities. As part of Lilly Summit workshops, students participate in shadowing and touring along with tours and a networking event. The Purdue Agriculture Initiative includes engaging in hands-on projects in agriculture and touring Purdue University's campus, and the Rose STEM Program encourages college enrollment for historically underrepresented students demonstrating a strong aptitude toward science and math to pursue STEM degrees, with CLD providing character-based programming and services to Rose STEM Program students.
The College Prep Institute's counselors are licensed professional guidance counselors and provide free one-on-one licensed professional guidance counseling. CLD provides character-based programming and services to its students, and elementary age youth learn effective communication skills, successful study habits, and leadership behaviors. Girls in the Precious Miss program strengthen self-esteem, identify positive friendships and relationships, develop a positive body image, embrace educational values, and create life-long achievement goals, while young men in Project MR. learn the significance of being a responsible male, how to defuse challenging pressures, set high academic and career goals, work collaboratively with others, and communicate effectively.
The mission of Center for Leadership Development is to foster the advancement of minority youth in Central Indiana as future professional, business, and community leaders by providing experiences that encourage personal development and educational attainment. CLD reports that 77 percent of its participants enroll in some institution of post-secondary learning, and 46 percent of participants who attend college earn a college degree. CLD demonstrates commitment to community service and philanthropy by teaching African American and minority youth the purpose, method and process for rendering service to those in need.
STEM Programs at CLD are supported by partnerships with Bowen Engineering, Purdue University IDEAS Learning Community, Eskenazi Health Services, Indiana University School of Medicine, IPS and IU Health (Crispus Attucks IU Fellows), Cummins Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Purdue University's College of Agriculture, Cargill, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Starfish Initiative, GEO Academies Believe, and the Minority Engineering Program of Indianapolis (MEPI). The organization has received a $1.4 million grant from the Lilly Endowment for a new state-of-the-art building on Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
Center for Leadership Development was incorporated in January 1977, held its first classes in September 1977, and its first graduation ceremony in March 1978, and has marked anniversaries including its tenth in 1987, twentieth in 1997, thirtieth in 2007, and 40th anniversary on January 3, 2017. Over the years, CLD has launched multiple initiatives related to STEM and college readiness, including the Rawls Scholars Medicine Initiative in 2002, Success Prep in 2003, Imani Book Club in 2004, Lilly Summit in 2006, Precious Miss in 2007, Junior Self-Discovery/Career Exploration in 2008, the College Prep Institute and several of its services in 2012, the Bowen Engineering/MEP Initiative in 2015, Lilly Summer Experience in 2018, the Purdue Agriculture Initiative and Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI MEAP-ACE in 2021, and the Rose STEM Program, Crispus Attucks IU Fellows, and Cummins-CLD Senior Leadership Speaker Series in 2022. Leadership over time has included Henry Bundles as the first president of CLD, Dennis Bland installed as president in 2000, and board chairs such as Schulyer F. Otteson, Jerry D. Semler, Robert L. Bowen, Stephen A. Stitle, and Thomas A. King.
One parent, Ms. JSM, stated that her daughter attended the Precious Miss program and really enjoyed it, and noted that CLD offers free tutoring and counseling sessions to help children succeed. Another parent, Brittany Alexander, stated that her boys attended several classes offered by CLD and that they plan to attend more in the future.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Schedule: Six-week class (SAT Prep); paid, eight-week summer program (Lilly Summer Experience); eight weekly sessions (Precious Miss); six weekly sessions (Project MR.); four-week high school readiness program (Success Prep); one-day experience (Role Model/Advisor Experience); eight-week journey (Jr. Self Discovery); six-week summer reading program (Imani Book Club); week-long MEAP-ACE summer camp
STEM Programs at CLD are part of more than twenty Indianapolis Youth Development programs for middle and high school students and their parents or supportive adults, and all experiences are based on core values of character, education, leadership, service, and career. Participants research post-secondary education choices, arrange campus visits, prepare strong admissions applications, and attend college readiness workshops. The College Prep Institute offers academic assessments, homework help, and study sessions and free tutoring in math and science, foreign languages, social studies, reading, and language arts, including Spanish, French, math, language arts, reading, science, and social studies tutoring.
The programs include a six-week class providing insight, test-taking strategies, and practical training to improve math and verbal/written scores, as well as a four-week high school readiness program that culminates in a college tour. One-day Role Model/Advisor Experience sessions allow youth and their parents to meet with professionals from career fields that match the student's individual career aspirations. CLD also offers a six-week summer reading program where students improve reading and comprehension skills and learn about reasons to appreciate the written word.
STEM Programs at CLD connect students with top African American professionals who share details of their education, work ethics, daily routine, personal challenges, and opportunities. As part of Lilly Summit workshops, students participate in shadowing and touring along with tours and a networking event. The Purdue Agriculture Initiative includes engaging in hands-on projects in agriculture and touring Purdue University's campus, and the Rose STEM Program encourages college enrollment for historically underrepresented students demonstrating a strong aptitude toward science and math to pursue STEM degrees, with CLD providing character-based programming and services to Rose STEM Program students.
The College Prep Institute's counselors are licensed professional guidance counselors and provide free one-on-one licensed professional guidance counseling. CLD provides character-based programming and services to its students, and elementary age youth learn effective communication skills, successful study habits, and leadership behaviors. Girls in the Precious Miss program strengthen self-esteem, identify positive friendships and relationships, develop a positive body image, embrace educational values, and create life-long achievement goals, while young men in Project MR. learn the significance of being a responsible male, how to defuse challenging pressures, set high academic and career goals, work collaboratively with others, and communicate effectively.
The mission of Center for Leadership Development is to foster the advancement of minority youth in Central Indiana as future professional, business, and community leaders by providing experiences that encourage personal development and educational attainment. CLD reports that 77 percent of its participants enroll in some institution of post-secondary learning, and 46 percent of participants who attend college earn a college degree. CLD demonstrates commitment to community service and philanthropy by teaching African American and minority youth the purpose, method and process for rendering service to those in need.
STEM Programs at CLD are supported by partnerships with Bowen Engineering, Purdue University IDEAS Learning Community, Eskenazi Health Services, Indiana University School of Medicine, IPS and IU Health (Crispus Attucks IU Fellows), Cummins Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Purdue University's College of Agriculture, Cargill, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Starfish Initiative, GEO Academies Believe, and the Minority Engineering Program of Indianapolis (MEPI). The organization has received a $1.4 million grant from the Lilly Endowment for a new state-of-the-art building on Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
Center for Leadership Development was incorporated in January 1977, held its first classes in September 1977, and its first graduation ceremony in March 1978, and has marked anniversaries including its tenth in 1987, twentieth in 1997, thirtieth in 2007, and 40th anniversary on January 3, 2017. Over the years, CLD has launched multiple initiatives related to STEM and college readiness, including the Rawls Scholars Medicine Initiative in 2002, Success Prep in 2003, Imani Book Club in 2004, Lilly Summit in 2006, Precious Miss in 2007, Junior Self-Discovery/Career Exploration in 2008, the College Prep Institute and several of its services in 2012, the Bowen Engineering/MEP Initiative in 2015, Lilly Summer Experience in 2018, the Purdue Agriculture Initiative and Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI MEAP-ACE in 2021, and the Rose STEM Program, Crispus Attucks IU Fellows, and Cummins-CLD Senior Leadership Speaker Series in 2022. Leadership over time has included Henry Bundles as the first president of CLD, Dennis Bland installed as president in 2000, and board chairs such as Schulyer F. Otteson, Jerry D. Semler, Robert L. Bowen, Stephen A. Stitle, and Thomas A. King.
One parent, Ms. JSM, stated that her daughter attended the Precious Miss program and really enjoyed it, and noted that CLD offers free tutoring and counseling sessions to help children succeed. Another parent, Brittany Alexander, stated that her boys attended several classes offered by CLD and that they plan to attend more in the future.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
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