Seven members of Student Council attended the Central Illinois District Leadership Conference for State Councils on Nov. 13.
In her first year as Community’s Student Council sponsor, Mrs. Jennifer Cole saw the conference as an opportunity to award the organization’s most committed members.
“We have many great organizations at school that go to leadership conferences,” Cole said. “I would like for Student Council members to have that same privilege.”
The students that attended, Cole said, would be able to take what they learned and build upon the work the council is already doing: celebrating student birthdays, planning a December spirit week, organizing staff appreciation for Thanksgiving and hosting an American Red Cross blood drive.
The benefit of leadership conferences, Cole said, is they can “ignite” students’ “passion” for their organization.
Student Council secretary Sophia Boyer was unaware that developmental opportunities like the one hosted by the Illinois Association of Student Councils existed.
“I thought Student Council was all about your school,” the three-year council member said. “I didn’t know there was a conference for schools to come and exchange ideas” with organizations from other districts.
The conference, which brought together student councils from 11 Central Illinois schools, Boyer said, gave her “great ideas.”
Among them, Boyer said, was a lesson in effective communication.
Student Council, Boyer said, consists of a variety of committees, and “sometimes, things don’t get done.”
The group can be more productive by communicating “in an uplifting way” and encouraging others when issues arise.
“If you come off in a threatening, frustrating or angry way, that’s not going to get anything done,” Boyer said.
“That lesson is really valuable because [it] can be applied to the Student Council and to leadership in general,” Boyer said.
Improved communication would allow Student Council to achieve broader goals.
Goals, like “connect[ing] to other committees or organizations in school,” Cole said. This collaboration “foster[s] a school culture that focuses on achievement and belonging.”