Presidential Leadership Scholars

During the module, Scholars joined in conversation with widely respected leaders who served in the Clinton administration, including Don Baer, Mack McLarty, Sec. Rodney Slater, and Stephanie S. Streett.

In February, Scholars gathered at the @clintoncenter in Little Rock, Arkansas, for Module Two of the PLS program, where they focused on the essential leadership skills of vision and communication. Read a recap of the module: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/presidential-l…

Meet this year’s class: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/presidential-l…

We are happy to announce the Presidential Leadership Scholars class of 2026! The program's 11th cohort includes an accomplished group of 60 #PLScholars who share a passion for addressing our toughest challenges and creating lasting, positive change in our country and the world.

Jean Becker, President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff during his post-presidency, recently spoke with the PLS team about her memories from President Bush’s participation in PLS and her hopes for the future of the program. Read her #PLSat10 interview: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/pls-at-10-inte…

Read his complete interview here: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/pls-at-10-dr-m…

Dr. Mike Hemphill, Co-Director and one of the founding staff members of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, recently sat down to reflect on the creation and evolution of the program and his hope for the next 10 years of PLS. #PLSat10

PLS is... inspiring, working together to build a better tomorrow, what we need now more than ever.  In October, hundreds of PLS alumni gathered in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary. Hear what a few of them had to say about the impact of PLS. #PLSat10

Hundreds of Presidential Leadership Scholars alumni celebrated the program’s 10th anniversary last night… Read more in @politico Playbook

Kristin King, Vice President of @TheBushCenter, COO of the Bush Institute, and former Director of the PLS program, recently answered questions about the launch of PLS over a decade ago & her hopes for the future of the program. Read her #PLSat10 interview: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/pls-at-10-bush…

Last month, the PLS 10th anniversary class graduated from the program — bringing the total number of alumni to nearly 600. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments from their final module together, and read about their experiences in D.C.: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/pls-alumni-bui…

Leaders of @TheBushCenter, @ClintonCenter, @BushFdn, & @LBJLibrary recently sat down with @cspan to discuss the incredible impact of PLS the past decade. Watch the interview: c-span.org/program/qa/qa-…

Tune in tonight ⤵️

TONIGHT -- Q&A on Presidential Legacies with: David Kramer (@TheBushCenter) Stephanie Streett (@ClintonFdn) Alice Yates (@BushFdn) Mark Updegrove (@LBJLibrary) 8pm ET on C-SPAN c-span.org/event/qa/presi…

SUNDAY -- Q&A on Presidential Legacies with: David Kramer (@TheBushCenter) Stephanie Streett (@ClintonFdn) Alice Yates (@BushFdn) Mark Updegrove (@LBJLibrary) 8pm ET on C-SPAN c-span.org/event/qa/presi…

Apply to join the Presidential Leadership Scholars Class of 2026 ⭐️ All application materials to join this one-of-a-kind program are due by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 20. Learn more and apply: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/apply/

77 percent of Americans say the issues that divide us are a serious threat to the future of our democracy.   Read how nearly 600 Presidential Leadership Scholars are giving hope and inspiration that our common humanity can prevail: thehill.com/opinion/white-…

Secretary Andy Card recently reflected on the impact of the Presidential Leadership Scholars the past decade and why the program is important to our democracy. 🔗 Read the complete #PLSat10 interview: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/pls-at-10-secr…

PLS Co-Directors Mike Hemphill and Kelley Jiou recently joined @KBTXNews in College Station, Texas, to talk about the impact of the program and what it takes to become a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Watch the interview: kbtx.com/2025/05/30/wha…

The PLS Class of 2025 visited the @LBJLibrary earlier this month to learn about influence & persuasion through the lens of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. Read the Module Four recap: presidentialleadershipscholars.org/lbjs-influence…