The American Dental Association (ADA) has added more seats to its ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership program. The program provides education and training to individuals who have been underrepresented in leadership roles within the dental profession and their communities.

As part of the Institute, supported in part by Henry Schein Inc. and Crest + Oral-B, class members will put the leadership principles and training they receive to practical use by selecting an issue or challenge in their community, organization, or profession and developing and executing a plan to address it, ADA reports.

“As a founding sponsor for the ADA’s Institute for Diversity in Leadership, Henry Schein is pleased to expand our long-standing support through the expansion of this program from 25 to 35 participants, which will now include five dental students,” said Carol Gomez Summerhays, D.D.S., senior adviser for global professional relations for Henry Schein Inc. and past ADA president. “Over the IDL’s 21 years, extraordinary programs have been developed and implemented nationally to expand access to care for patients from vulnerable populations, and many ADA IDL alumni have become leaders at every level within the tripartite and across the international dental community.” 

The ADA announced that it will select 35 applicants for the free program, which includes three leadership training sessions at ADA Headquarters in Chicago from Dec. 5-6, 2024; Aug. 14-15, 2025; and Dec. 4-5, 2025.

Access more information on the program via ADA’s recent news announcement.