Five Tips for Starting a Student Leadership Program

Fort Bend ISD’s Student Leadership Program was established in partnership with the Fort Bend ISD school board, working with students in district and community settings. It is designed to develop proficiency in all core aspects of leadership, including public speaking and presentation skills. The goal is to offer participants a unique opportunity to learn through observation, hands-on experiences, and a summative capstone project and presentation in their senior spring semester.

Interested in starting a student leadership program in your district? Here are a few tips from recent graduates Gabrielle Chandler and Austin Elam, who both participated in the Fort Bend ISD program, and Geordie Daniel, the district’s Leadership Development Coordinator:

1. Hire great program leaders who enjoy working with high school students.

“You want to find someone who is engaged, can interact with people, and gets everyone excited and eager to learn new things,” said Chandler.

2. Leverage district experiences to develop buy-in, both from staff and students.

Elam recalled touring all the different departments and meeting staff members who all play a critical role in the district’s mission to educate students, even if they aren’t in the classroom.

3. Find great community partners who want to provide meaningful experiences for students.

“They should be broad enough and unique enough where you learn something new with each visit that you go to because that will allow students to actually learn the most,” Elam said.

4. Encourage school board members to participate in the program meetings and to share aspects of their personal stories.

“There’s been a board member at every meeting,” Chandler said. “And it really just shows that they care about us, and they’re taking time out of their day to come and talk to us and help us learn.”

5. Align the program with the vision of the school board and superintendent.

“Everyone has been united in making sure the program meets the mission, vision, and goals of our district,” Daniel said.

Read more about Fort Bend ISD’s Student Leadership Program.