Youth Council #1

The first Youth Council was, without a doubt, the one that brought the most nerves and uncertainty but it was truly a learning experience for everyone. The focuses of this council were leadership for social change, time/stress management and what it means to be successful. By the end of this session my goal was to make sure every student knew that they were a leader in some way shape or form; being a leader is the personal attribute that can help anyone achieve enormous things.  We asked the students what they think it means to be a leader, not to my surprise; they all knew what it meant to be a leader. However, some were discouraged and didn't know if they had what it takes to be a leader in their lives and community but it was important for me to pull that out of them. I asked them questions like, “What do you do for fun,” “What activities are you involved in, in school?” “Who do you know that’s a leader?” Asking these various questions can help them realize their leadership abilities and characteristics.

We also taught them how to manage their time and stress, how important it is to have a planner and to prioritize. We ended the session by asking them what people they viewed as successful. In this day and age you will be surprised the names you will get. Some students said Miley Cyrus which could seems ludicrous to some but she is successful in her own right while other students listed great political ground breakers like President Obama.  By the end of the session the students opened up, gained some knowledge and left with their leadership hats on.