The Lesniak Institute for American Leadership, based at Kean University, is a nonprofit think tank and training institute to develop the next generation of American leaders, and to partner with grassroots leaders from across the country, to advocate for social justice. The Institute is named for Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, who, over a 40-year career in the New Jersey Legislature, authored and sponsored hundreds of laws that have advanced civil rights and the quality of life for millions. Senator Lesniak is the winner of the International Human Rights Competition at Le Mémorial de Caen in Normandy, France.