Career & Personal Development Newsletter Article for the
by Career & Personal Development Specialist Alli Smalls
Students’ Retreat to Develop Leadership Skills
January 25, 2017
January is the start a whole new year with new beginnings. This New Year, nine students from the Olympia Learning Center joined the faculty and staff to participate in their first leadership retreat. The 2017 ECHOs (Educated Choices for Healthy Outcomes) Student Leadership Retreat provided food, fun, and festivities that featured 21st century skills, life skills, as well as career and personal development skills. The retreat was held at the retreat center located at Sesquicentennial State Park from January 13, 2017 – January 15, 2017. The purpose of the retreat was to place students in a non-traditional school environment and nurture those qualities that are innate in their personalities that allowed them to develop decision making skills through problem solving activities and conflict resolution exercises; increase their capacity and develop their leadership skills; and foster individual and shared responsibility within a community.
The retreat welcomed special guest speakers: Mr. Frankie Gray, Richland One Executive Director of Schools, Mr. Jamie Devine, Richland One School Board Member and Mrs. Tameika Isaac Devine, City Councilwoman, Mrs. Heather Smith, Southern Strategy Group, and Ms. Lakesha Clawson from Palmetto Health Teen Talk program. Regrets were received from Senator Katrina Shealy who was unable to attend because she was under the weather.
There was also a parent segment of the retreat. Olympia parent, Mr. Ray Gillie attended the parent session of the retreat and shared that he learned excellent information about the nuances of communication and the difference between discipline and punishment. He was excited to begin practicing and sharing the new strategies he learned with his wife and his son. Mr. Gillie stated, “More parents need to attend is workshop.”
Overwhelming support for the retreat was provided by Richland School District One, Senator Katrina Shealy, and Mrs. Heather Smith. We thank them for their financial support and for their participation in the retreat.
During the retreat students teamed up to solve a mystery, participate in a trust walk at 5:30 a.m., and even participate in a mock court case where they served as Plaintiffs, Defendants, Attorneys, Bailiff, and Judge! Saturday evening, they got to burn off some calories by playing a spirited game of kick ball.
The students who attended the retreat will continue their leadership skills development by participating in leadership development programs at Olympia including: 21st Century Skills Training classes, the Career Mentors program with partners Vulcan Materials Company and the Army National Guard, IMPACT afterschool program, and ECHO Leaders Training.