· Enables administration to hear from their most important stakeholders

· Encourages students to have a voice in determining school policy

· Provides an opportunity for students to have ownership in their school

· Student-created initiatives have greater acceptance among their peers.

Why should you empower student leaders?

Empowering Student Leaders

vassp summer conference 2014

How can administrators empower student leaders?

· Before school lets out, meet with newly elected officers to plan for the next

school year.

· Have your SCA Advisor conduct summer workdays. A successful school year

requires planning. As an administrator, make sure you check in on the summer

workdays to show support for your leaders.

· Meet monthly with student leaders throughout the school year. Encourage

them to express areas of concern, ways to improve the school, and what has

been successful.

· Allow student leaders to take a larger role in student and staff recognition.

Urge students to be creative and make sure all students believe they are part

of the school. Schools that have a positive school climate have students and

teachers who perform at a higher level.

Easily Incorporated Tips

Piecing It All Together

· Have an open door policy for your student leaders. Make them feel comfortable

coming to you for suggestions.

· Listen to their concerns. There are many problems that can be avoided by listening

to these very important stakeholders.

· Create a committee of student leaders from various aspects of the school. Make

sure to include Student Council, class officers, athletic captains, music and arts

representatives and a variety of club presidents.

· Delegate tasks that can be performed by students. They will appreciate the fact

that you trust them, and they will complete the tasks efficiently and up to your

standards.

· Participate in the events that they plan. This impacts the overall climate of your

school.

· Give shout-outs for their accomplishments to the entire student body and send

thank you notes. You will make a lasting impact and make student leaders want to

work hard for you and for the school.

Mr. Michael Perez

Principal,

Grassfield High School

Mrs. Andrea Vail

Student Activities Director,

Grassfield High School

Assistant Principal I,

Hickory High School

The Grassfield High School Planning Council consists of student leaders, parents,

teachers, and administrators. It focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the

school. It has been successful because it incorporates all stakeholders. It meets

quarterly so that issues that are present at each phase of the school year can be the

topics of discussion.

Examples of Student Led Projects Each year, the SCA welcomes

students, teachers, administrators,

bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria

workers, and clerical staff back by

creating a theme and decorating a

wall in the cafeteria with each

individuals name. This is an easy way

to provide individual recognition to

everyone that is essential to the

success of the school.

Student leaders are a major part

of the Freshmen Transition

Program. They plan and participate

in a variety of team-building

activities, as well as create and

perform a skit on entering high

school. At the conclusion of the

day, the student leaders facilitate

a question and answer session.

This allows rising 9th graders to

enter high school with many

questions answered.

One hour prior to Back to School

Orientation, the student leaders

from each club set up a display

for our “Club Fair.” This allows

parents and students to see the

variety of clubs and activities

that are offered. Parents and

students are able to sign up for

the club, get information, and ask

questions of club officers and

sponsors.

Let student leaders choose service

projects. When a JV Football player

at a rival school suddenly passed

away, the students felt compelled

to do something to help his family.

Student leaders sold “Service

Links” throughout the week and

presented the principal of the rival

high school a check to go towards

funeral expenses. This allowed

students to see the impact they

can have on their local community.

Encourage school spirit. Students

who believe in their school want to

cheer for their school. We have an

annual Red Out football game. It is

traditionally the first home game

of the year. It really sets the tone

of spirit for the year. The Student

Council designs and sells shirts

each year before the game. They

are a tradition at our school.

Use student leaders for student

and staff recognition. One easy

project is to have your student

leaders complete a “Post-It

Positive” project. Positive

messages are left all over the

school. Share a Smile was a

project where every student came

to school on a Monday and had a

personalized note in their home-

room. Student leaders should be

prominent in staff recognition.