Dozens of Pinellas County students got the chance to learn more about how to be better leaders in their schools during a three-day Generation Lead Student Leadership Summit last week on the campus of the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg.
Hosted by Superintendent Kevin Hendrick, the summit attracted every school’s top student leaders from each elementary, middle, and high school in the district.
The summit’s goals was to inspire and empower young leaders from different schools. The activities focused on leadership development, community involvement, community involvement, and social responsibility.
Unlike other leadership events, this leadership event incorporated interactive workshops, guest speakers, and group activities that encouraged group collaboration and critical thinking.
Hendrick kicked off each day with a townhall address to explain what a leader is and why it is important to be one.
He read a book called “Be a Better Maker” by Katey Howes to show how leaders make a big impact in everything and everywhere.
In an interview with the JHop Times, Hendrick said, “Leaders need to be open, they need to have the opportunity to be approachable. Leaders need to do their homework, they have to do their research. And leaders need to be decisive.”
A challenge you might face as a leader is you will not make everyone happy, Hendrick said.
Hendrick said people he looks up to and helped inspire his journey to be a leader are the principals, classmates, and teachers he has had.
All the student leaders who attended this event participated in many activities including Jenga, bingo, a dorm tour, charades, a leader’s journey, an escape room, and a spaghetti tower.
The point in all these activities is to learn to work well with others and see what being a leader looks and feels like.
Serinity Dorsey, a sixth grader at Seminole Middle School said she enjoyed the opportunity to get to connect with others.
“It is interesting to hear new peoples’ perspectives,” she said.
Autumn Lockwood, a sixth grader at Sanderlin K-8 School, said she believes that a leader is someone who supports everyone’s perspective.
“I think everyone should be included,” she said.
