AOA Leadership Institute
The AOA Leadership Institute equips the next generation of optometry's champions to become leaders in their practices, communities and profession at large through a 6-month, virtual and in-person professional development curriculum.
What is the AOA Leadership Institute?
The AOA Leadership Institute is a 6-month program designed to engage and equip the upcoming generation of optometry's champions to take on leadership roles within the AOA and its affiliates. Through a combination of virtual and in-person training, focus groups and networking opportunities, AOA Leadership Institute participants will graduate with the skillset and confidence necessary to step in and lead at all levels—local, state and beyond.
Developed by the AOA Leadership Development Committee, the AOA Leadership Institute seeks to build a diverse leadership class each year that reflects the changing demographics of new doctors of optometry. Open to active AOA member doctors of optometry who are early in their careers, the AOA Leadership Institute is your first step for developing and honing leadership skills that can shape our future.
2026 Applications & Nominations
Are you an active AOA member who's in the early-to-middle phase of their career or an AOA Leadership Institute graduate looking for next steps? Learn more about the AOA Leadership Institute 2.0 program.
What is the purpose of the AOA Leadership Institute?
- Engage emerging leaders for optometry and the AOA.
- Provide training and personal growth opportunities.
- Provide leadership opportunities on local, state and national levels.
- Strengthen relationships between AOA, faculty and affiliates.
What is the vision of the AOA Leadership Institute?
- Activate and empower participants in the program.
- Foster cohesiveness within the class.
- Build friendships and support for each other as they advance in their careers and leadership roles.
What can you expect from the AOA Leadership Institute?
2026 Schedule at a Glance
| Personal, professional attribute assessment (virtual) | February 2026 |
| Leadership Brand (virtual) | March 2026 |
| Leading Change (virtual) | April 2026 |
| Negotiation Skills (virtual) | May 2026 |
| Leaders reception (in-person at Optometry’s Meeting) | June 2026 |
| Public Speaking Part 1 (in-person at Optometry’s Meeting) | June 2026 |
| Public Speaking Part 2 (in-person at Optometry’s Meeting) | June 2026 |
| Graduation and induction ceremony (in-person at Optometry’s Meeting) | June 2026 |
What you can expect from the program:
- Highly interactive sessions that are designed to provide a foundation for learning from
subject-matter experts and fellow participants. - Quarterly virtual sessions will not exceed 2 hours at 8pm CST.
- Two in-person sessions at Optometry’s Meeting
- Quarterly prework and assignments that support learning and application.
- A web portal that will house:
- Program curriculum.
- Program materials including workshop and webinar resources and tools.
- Roster with contact information.
- AOA CE Hours credit upon successful completion of the program.
What we expect of participants
- Engage and actively participate in each session.
- Complete all prework and assignments:
- Prework will not require more than 30 minutes of participants' time.
- Assignments will require 60-90 minutes of participants' time.
- Attend Optometry’s Meeting
- Connect with peer participants to enhance learning and further develop your network.
How to access AOA Leadership Institute participant resources
All AOA Leadership Institute participants will have access to program resources and recorded virtual sessions within the AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub, the AOA's online education platform. Please follow these directions to locate participant content:
- Log in to EyeLearn with the username and password used to access AOA.org; this will direct you to your account profile.
- Navigate to "My Courses and Learning Plan" to access your AOA Classroom where you can find all available, on-demand courses.
- Select "Leadership Institute" to access your program resources.
See the AOA Leadership Institute in action
The AOA Leadership Institute is proud to recognize successive years of graduates that are already taking steps to get involved and lead in their practices, communities and profession.
What participants say about the AOA Leadership Institute
Congratulations to AOA Leadership Institute graduates
Thank you to the AOA Leadership Institute Visionary Supporters
The AOA Leadership Institute is supported by AOA’s Visionary Supporters, Johnson & Johnson and EssilorLuxottica.
Johnson & Johnson
Personal development is a valuable part of becoming the best you can be, and all 
of us at Johnson & Johnson stand behind you in your specific goal of leadership development. We are proud to be a Visionary sponsor of the AOA and to have the opportunity to work with programs like the Leadership Institute. It is an honor to support you as you step out of your comfort zone to explore the value of leadership development.
EssilorLuxottica
At EssilorLuxottica, our mission is improving lives by improving sight. We achieve this through our 
innovative products, industry-leading programs, and partnerships to grow the eyecare industry. We are thrilled to partner with the AOA on the Leadership Institute, so together; we can help develop leaders that reflect the profession’s demographics. Strong leadership will ensure the continued growth and evolution of our industry, and we are excited to take part in this important initiative.
Contact us
If you have questions about the AOA Leadership Institute please contact us at leadershipinstitute@aoa.org.
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