The National American Legion College
Lead Through Service
The National American Legion College embraces a servant leadership model, that equips Legionnaires with the skills to lead through service, inspire others, and strengthen The American Legion’s mission.
This six-day immersive experience goes beyond traditional leadership education as it fosters a deep understanding of The American Legion’s core values, and the power of collaborative, service-driven leadership. Students will develop practical strategies to lead with empathy, accountability, and vision, ensuring they are prepared to build strong teams, enhance community impact, and guide The American Legion into the future. Through critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and hands-on learning, participants will gain the confidence and knowledge to lead at every level—within their posts, districts, departments, and beyond.
How to Apply
Applications can be downloaded, completed, and submitted to your department leadership. Your department must endorse you before they submit any applications to national. Applications received from students will not be accepted and will be returned to you and your department adjutant. Applications are due from your department by July 31st. If you have questions, please submit them to ia@legion.org.
Identifying Ideal Students for The National American Legion College
Legion College Course Structure
The curriculum is based on lectures, presentations, group discussions, and collaborative activities, all supervised by NALC instructors, staff, and national officers. Students explore The American Legion’s core values, generate innovative ideas, and envision their futures as servant leaders. The program emphasizes servant leadership along with membership and team development, advocacy and public engagement, program and financial leadership, collaborative practices, and the best practices in social media and alumni relations.
Lead with Service, Inspire with Purpose
The National American Legion College is a transformative six-day experience designed to cultivate servant leaders who will strengthen The American Legion’s mission of service. Through engaging lectures, interactive discussions, and collaborative activities, students will explore the core principles of servant leadership—putting the needs of others first, leading with integrity, and fostering a culture of trust and accountability.
This course is not just about leadership—it’s about learning how to serve effectively while inspiring and empowering those around you.
Participants will develop practical strategies for leading with empathy, ensuring that every decision and action aligns with the values of service, teamwork, and advocacy. Through hands-on exercises, they will discover ways to build trust, encourage collaboration, and strengthen relationships within their posts, districts, and departments.
With a focus on community impact and organizational effectiveness, students will learn to apply servant leadership in real-world settings, helping to advance The American Legion’s mission while supporting fellow veterans, their families, and local communities.
By the end of the program, each student will create a personal action plan to implement these leadership principles in their day-to-day responsibilities. They will leave equipped with the skills, confidence, and vision to inspire and empower others within The American Legion and beyond.
If you are ready to lead through service, make a lasting impact, and help shape the future of The American Legion, we invite you to take the next step in your leadership journey by enrolling in the National American Legion College.
Legion College History
The American Legion College began at the 1944 National Convention with Resolution No. 138 to help educate and integrate veterans joining the Legion after World War II. The first two Legion College sessions convened at National Headquarters in Indianapolis in July (see image) and December 1946, and covered a variety of topics, including Legion Service Work, Youth Programs, Child Welfare, Legion Legislation, Veterans Preference, Community Service Programs, and Legion Public Relations and Speeches.
Additional sessions from 1947 to 1949 trained hundreds of future Legion leaders. A session in December 1950 was canceled because enrollment requirements weren’t met, but with the influx of Korean War veterans, two more sessions were conducted in 1954. By 1955, a number of departments were already offering their own Legion Colleges. This became the preferred method for training future leaders due to budgetary considerations and the ability to offer Legion education to more Legionnaires through their departments.
The national-level Legion College was reinstituted based on recommendations from the 1997 21st-Century Ad Hoc Committee report. The first Legion College since 1954 convened in November 1999, with 34 Legionnaires participating. Legion College continues to be an annual event that educates students in leadership, management and communication.
National American Legion College Alumni Association (NALCAA)
The National American Legion College Alumni Association (NALCAA) invites all NALC graduates to join us in promoting the principles of The American Legion and shaping its future through leadership development.
Lifetime membership in NALCAA is available for a one-time fee of just $20. To qualify, you must be an American Legion member in good standing and a graduate of the National American Legion College.
Please note: NALCAA communicates primarily via email, so please ensure your contact information is current in your MyLegion.org(Opens in a new window) account to stay connected.
Contact
For more information, contact Internal Affairs at (317) 630-1327 or ia@legion.org.