Here are some potential themes for your student leadership day:
1. "Building Bridges: Leading with Empathy and Equity"
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Focus: Developing empathy, understanding diverse perspectives, and fostering inclusive
environments.
Activities: Restorative circles, team-building exercises, and discussions on equity.
2. "Together We Rise: Creating Communities of Belonging"
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Focus: Leadership as a tool for creating inclusive and welcoming spaces where
everyone feels they belong.
Activities: Interactive workshops on inclusion, storytelling, and strategies for promoting
belonging.
3. "Leaders in Harmony: Restorative Practices for Positive Change"
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Focus: Equipping students with restorative practices to resolve conflicts and build strong,
respectful relationships.
Activities: Role-playing restorative conversations, group mediation simulations, and
leadership reflection exercises.
4. "Voices United: Empowering Inclusive Leadership"
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Focus: Amplifying underrepresented voices and creating leadership that celebrates
diversity.
Activities: Cultural competence training, peer-led discussions, and creating action plans
for inclusivity.
5. "Leading Together: Strengthening Communities through Collaboration"
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Focus: Developing collaborative leadership skills to solve problems and build trust in
diverse groups.
Activities: Problem-solving challenges, shared leadership exercises, and brainstorming
school-based initiatives.
6. "Restoring Our Roots: Leadership for a Brighter Future"
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Focus: Using restorative practices to reconnect with shared values, repair harm, and
foster a positive school culture.
Activities: Visioning exercises, storytelling around challenges and successes, and
creating a restorative culture map.
7. "Be the Change: Cultivating Courageous Leadership"
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Focus: Encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones and lead with
authenticity and confidence.
Activities: Courage-building workshops, scenario-based leadership challenges, and selfreflection activities.
8. "Circle of Leaders: Nurturing Inclusive Futures"
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Focus: Emphasizing the power of collaboration and shared leadership in creating
inclusive environments.
Activities: Group projects, leadership skill assessments, and inclusive strategy
development.
9. "The Power of Us: Leading Through Connection"
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Focus: Strengthening leadership through building genuine connections and fostering
respect within diverse communities.
Activities: Connection exercises, peer mentoring, and creating plans for implementing
restorative practices.
10. "Transforming Together: Leading with Purpose and Care"
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Focus: Leadership as a means to inspire purpose-driven change while prioritizing care
and compassion.
Activities: Vision board creation, restorative justice simulations, and developing
actionable steps for school impact.
"The Power of Us: Leading Through Connection":
Theme Description
This theme emphasizes that leadership thrives when rooted in authentic connections, mutual
respect, and a shared vision. It encourages students to embrace diversity, value others'
contributions, and foster a sense of community belonging.
Schedule Outline
1. Welcome and Opening Activity (30 mins)
Activity: Connection Web
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Participants sit in a circle with a ball of yarn.
One student starts by sharing something about themselves and tosses the ball to
someone who shares a commonality or an appreciation for the comment.
The activity continues, creating a "web of connection."
Goal: Demonstrate interconnectedness and build trust from the start.
2. Keynote: "The Power of Connection" (45 mins)
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A speaker (educator, community leader, or student) shares stories of how leadership
and connection foster positive change, inclusivity, and restorative practices.
Key Takeaways:
Effective leadership is relational, not hierarchical.
Empathy and active listening as core leadership skills.
3. Workshop Block 1: Building Authentic Connections (1 hour)
Activity: Empathy Mapping
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Students pair up and practice active listening by interviewing each other about
challenges they face and what makes them feel included.
They create an “empathy map” summarizing their partner’s feelings, needs, and goals.
Goal: Build deeper understanding of others’ perspectives and practice listening without
judgment.
4. Restorative Practices Breakout Session (1 hour)
Activity: Restorative Circle Practice
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Students learn the structure of a restorative circle (speaking piece, ground rules, active
listening).
Practice leading a circle on a topic like “What does belonging mean to you?”
Goal: Gain hands-on experience with restorative practices and how they foster
connection and healing.
5. Lunch and Informal Networking (1 hour)
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Encourage students to mix with others they don’t know and reflect on morning activities
using prompts like:
○ “What’s one thing you learned about someone new today?”
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“How can you bring this idea of connection back to your school?”
6. Workshop Block 2: Leading with Inclusivity and Respect (1 hour)
Activity: Role-Playing Scenarios
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Students work in small groups to role-play scenarios of leadership challenges, such as:
○ Mediating conflicts.
○ Addressing exclusion in a group project.
○ Welcoming a new student into a tight-knit group.
Groups reflect on how they approached the situation and what they could improve.
Goal: Practice inclusive leadership skills in real-life contexts.
7. Action Planning Session: "Connection in Action" (1 hour)
Activity: Community Leadership Plans
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Students brainstorm ways to bring connection and restorative practices back to their
schools.
Create a plan for initiatives like:
○ Peer mentoring programs.
○ Restorative justice clubs.
○ Inclusion workshops for peers.
Each group presents their idea to the larger group for feedback and inspiration.
Goal: Ensure participants leave with actionable steps.
8. Closing Reflection and Commitment (30 mins)
Activity: Commitment Chain
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Each student writes a commitment to fostering connection and inclusivity on a paper link.
The links are assembled into a chain representing the collective strength of their
commitments.
Goal: Inspire ongoing action and a sense of unity among participants.
Takeaways
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Leadership as connection: Students gain strategies to lead inclusively and
collaboratively.
Restorative practices toolkit: Students learn tangible methods for resolving conflicts and
fostering belonging.
Community-building mindset: Students leave with a concrete plan to strengthen
relationships in their schools.
Here’s a dedicated Action Plan Section to integrate into "The Power of Us: Leading Through
Connection":
Action Plan Development: Bringing Connection to Your School
Duration: 1 Hour
This session focuses on guiding students to reflect on what they’ve learned and develop a
concrete, actionable plan to implement at their school.
Step 1: Vision Brainstorm (15 mins)
Activity: Group Reflection
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Small groups of students from the same school (or similar contexts) discuss:
○ What are your school's current strengths and challenges related to connection
and belonging?
○ Where do you see opportunities to create more inclusive and restorative spaces?
○ What leadership role can you take to foster change?
Goal: Students identify focus areas for their action plans (e.g., creating a restorative circle
group, hosting inclusion workshops, or launching peer connection initiatives).
Step 2: Action Plan Framework (30 mins)
Activity: Building the Plan
Students use a structured worksheet or template to create a detailed action plan. Components
include:
1. Project Title: Give their initiative a name (e.g., “Circle of Trust: Weekly Restorative
Gatherings”).
2. Objective: Define the goal (e.g., “Foster deeper peer relationships through regular
restorative practices”).
3. Key Actions: Outline specific steps to achieve the goal (e.g.,
○ Step 1: Meet with school administrators to gain support.
○ Step 2: Organize training for interested students and staff.
○ Step 3: Schedule monthly restorative circles.)
4. Resources Needed: Identify people, materials, or support required (e.g., a facilitator,
meeting space, flyers).
5. Timeline: Set a realistic timeline for implementation and progress check-ins.
6. Metrics for Success: Determine how they measure success (e.g., attendance numbers,
participant feedback, improved relationships).
Goal: Equip students with a clear, actionable plan to present to their school communities.
Step 3: Peer Feedback and Collaboration (15 mins)
Activity: Plan Pitch and Feedback Circles
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Students present their plans to other groups for constructive feedback.
Encourage groups to offer suggestions, share resources, or collaborate on similar ideas.
Goal: Refine action plans and inspire cross-school collaboration.
Workshop Deliverables
At the end of the action plan session, each student group will:
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Have a completed action plan document to bring back to their school.
Be prepared to present their plan to school administrators, staff, or student councils.
Commit to specific next steps, with accountability check-ins (e.g., set a group meeting
two weeks post-event to review progress).
Here’s specific guidance to help students effectively share and implement their action plans at
their schools:
Step-by-Step Guidance for Sharing Plans at School
1. Prepare a Clear and Engaging Presentation
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Use a visual aid like a slide deck or poster to summarize your action plan. Include:
○ Introduction: Explain the purpose of your initiative and how it addresses a need
in your school.
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Goals: State the objectives of your plan.
Steps: Highlight the key actions you’ll take to implement the plan.
Benefits: Emphasize how this initiative will foster connection, belonging, and
inclusivity at school.
2. Identify Key Stakeholders
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Determine who needs to hear about your plan and who can help make it a reality.
○ School Administrators: Present to your principal or leadership team to gain
approval and support.
○ Staff and Faculty: Engage teachers or counselors who can advocate for or help
execute your idea.
○ Peers: Involve fellow students to build momentum and support for the initiative.
3. Schedule a Meeting with Decision-Makers
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Request a meeting with your school’s leadership team to share your action plan.
Be professional: Prepare an email or letter outlining your plan, its benefits, and a request
to discuss it further.
4. Practice Your Presentation
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Rehearse with peers or mentors to refine your delivery.
Anticipate questions or concerns and prepare thoughtful responses, such as:
○ How will you handle challenges (e.g., participation, resources)?
○ How will you measure success?
5. Create a Call to Action
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End your presentation by clearly stating what you need:
○ Approval to proceed.
○ Resources (e.g., space, materials, funding).
○ Support from staff or student groups.
6. Build a Support Network
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Recruit a team of peers to help implement the plan.
Engage clubs or organizations that align with your goals (e.g., student council, diversity
clubs).
7. Communicate Regularly
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Keep stakeholders updated on your progress.
Share successes and challenges through newsletters, social media, or school
announcements.
Sample Script for Presenting the Plan
Introduction:
“Hi, my name is [Name], and I’m excited to share an idea from a student leadership day
focused on creating a more inclusive and connected school community.”
Overview of the Plan:
“Our initiative, [Project Name], aims to [state the goal, e.g., ‘bring students together through
regular restorative practices’]. This will help address [specific need, e.g., ‘conflicts, feelings of
isolation, or lack of student engagement’].”
Steps to Implementation:
“We plan to achieve this by [briefly explain steps]. We’ve already identified resources we’ll
need, including [mention key resources, e.g., ‘support from staff, a meeting space, and
participation from students’].”
Benefits:
“This initiative will [state benefits, e.g., ‘reduce conflicts, increase belonging, and strengthen
relationships among students’].”
Call to Action:
“We’d love your support in moving this forward. Could we [specific request, e.g., ‘schedule a
pilot event next month’]?”
Here’s an opening session focused on defining leadership:
Opening Session: Defining Leadership for Connection and Belonging
Duration: 45 minutes
Objective:
Help students develop a shared understanding of leadership by exploring its qualities, styles,
and how it relates to fostering inclusivity, connection, and restorative practices.
Session Plan:
1. Icebreaker: Leadership in Action (10 mins)
Activity: Who’s a Leader?
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Facilitator poses a question: “Who’s someone you see as a leader, and why?”
Students pair up and share their examples (e.g., a peer, teacher, coach, family
member).
A few volunteers share their answers with the group.
Goal: Highlight the diversity in leadership styles and qualities, showing that leadership
is not one-size-fits-all.
2. Group Brainstorm: What is Leadership? (10 mins)
Activity: Qualities of a Leader
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Facilitator leads an open brainstorm on chart paper, a whiteboard, or a digital tool:
○ “What words or qualities come to mind when you think of leadership?”
○ Students contribute terms like empathy, courage, vision, collaboration, inclusivity,
etc.
Discuss:
○ “Are all leaders the same?”
○ “Can anyone be a leader? Why or why not?”
3. Mini-Lecture: Leadership for Connection (10 mins)
Content:
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Facilitator explains how leadership is about creating positive change, and it begins with:
○ Building authentic relationships.
○ Fostering belonging by valuing diverse voices.
○ Using restorative practices to create a culture of respect and understanding.
Example: Share a short, real-world story of a student leader who created
connection and belonging (e.g., starting an inclusion club or leading a peer
mediation).
4. Small Group Activity: Leadership in Our Lives (15 mins)
Activity: Leadership Reflection Circles
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Students form small groups and reflect on:
○ A time they felt like a leader.
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○ A time someone else’s leadership inspired them.
○ What leadership qualities they want to develop.
Groups share key insights with the larger group.
Key Takeaways:
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Leadership is about fostering connection and empowering others.
Everyone has the potential to lead by using their unique strengths.
Leadership rooted in inclusivity and restorative practices creates stronger communities.