Students from Columbus, Seymour headed to statewide Lugar Leadership Summit

INDIANAPOLIS — The 49th annual Richard G. Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow's Leaders hosted by The Richard G. Lugar Academy at the University of Indianapolis will bring more than 175 top high school juniors from Indiana together for a day of discussion on public issues and world events on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The Columbus area will be represented by students from Columbus North, Brown County, Harmony, and Seymour as part of a broader contingent that includes students from more than 60 Hoosier high schools.

By attending the symposium, each student is eligible to receive the $5,000 per year Lugar Symposium Scholarship on top of any other financial or merit aid they receive from UIndy. More than 20,000 students have benefited from the symposium in the last four decades, continuing to expand the legacy of former Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, a Distinguished Trustee and former political science professor at the University of Indianapolis.

Journalist, author, and host of National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Steve Inskeep, will be the keynote speaker. 

Students will choose from a variety of breakout sessions on current issues, including the state of Indiana politics in 2026, the history of disability and welfare in Indiana, the evolution of power politics at the national level, and refugee integration in Indianapolis.

Administrators at each Indiana high school are asked to nominate outstanding juniors to discuss current events and issues at the Symposium.