The Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) has announced that the University of Notre Dame will continue its partnership with the Leadership Institute for Military Spouses by MSAN (LIMS by MSAN) into 2027. This collaboration brings free, virtual training to military spouses, focusing on resilience, mental health, and ethical leadership. The second cohorts of these programs will commence, reinforcing MSAN's commitment to empowering military families.
The courses, developed by faculty from the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic, and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, are designed to equip military spouses with practical skills. The online content was developed in partnership with the university's Office of Digital Learning, part of Notre Dame Learning.
Verenice Castillo, MSAN President and CEO, expressed gratitude: "Their continued investment in our military spouse community and the return of this transformative training reflect a shared commitment to empowering military spouses with the knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills to create lasting change." Sonia Howell, director of the Office of Digital Learning, added, "It is deeply rewarding to know the courses are continuing to reach new cohorts of learners."
Since its inception in 2020, nearly 300 military spouses have graduated from the LIMS flagship Leadership Development Program. Graduates represent all branches of service, including veteran and retiree spouses, and Gold Star and surviving spouses. The two new programs are exclusively offered to LIMS alumni, providing advanced training in mental health wellness and ethical leadership.
The Ethical Leadership course covers conflict management, voicing values at work, and honesty and empathy in decision-making. The mental health series aims to dispel myths, identify risks common in military communities, and develop wellness skills for spouses and their networks. Both programs are designed to help military spouses become resilient leaders and compassionate advocates.
The partnership is a multidisciplinary effort involving faculty and staff from ten university organizations, spearheaded by Notre Dame Research with support from the Office of Military & Veterans Affairs, the College of Arts and Letters, the Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame Learning's Office of Digital Learning, the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic, and the Mental Health Initiative.
This extension underscores the importance of supporting military spouses, who play a vital role in maintaining strong military families and communities. By providing free, high-quality education, MSAN and Notre Dame are investing in the well-being and leadership capacity of those who serve behind the scenes.
