On February 2nd of 2022, Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) held its second Online Workshop for Leadership (OWL) on a clear sunny afternoon. More than a hundred student leaders from different class councils and school clubs attended the seminar that was prepared by the Basic Education and IB Student Council officers in accordance with the theme of “#MonarchsGrow: Developing future movers of society.”
This workshop originally began 20 years ago as the Outdoor Workshop for Leadership and since then, student leaders from SISC have been able to gloss over and practice their understanding of what it means to be a leader.
From its plenary talks to interactive assignments, OWL provided an enriching experience and a valuable environment to provide the realities of being and becoming a leader. Former SLGE and Discipline Head Sir Gabriel “GJ” Lazaro was the guest speaker who facilitated the plenary session about the “Journey towards being a leader.” He said, “You learn to be a leader by becoming one through actual experience, because sometimes you do not learn it through just workshops but anywhere you go. And it is not about the title, but about a heart that is able to serve.”
He also related himself to the students by opening up about the struggles when becoming or being a leader. Anxiety, depression, and overthinking were given the spotlight as he went over his own experiences. With that in mind, he told the students that a coping mechanism he underwent was the “ACT” method: A - to ask questions, C - for chill or relax, and T - to trust God.
After the plenary session, student leaders entered breakout rooms where the Student Council officers gave lectures and activities relating to effective communication, event planning, and leadership styles. Attendees were taught about communicating effectively with the people they work with and how to establish a good social media presence. They were also taught the steps of proposing a project for school events, and the three different kinds of leadership styles: the laissez-faire, transactional, and transformational.
As a culminating activity, attendees were tasked with preparing a project proposal in groups to apply everything that they had learned from the breakout sessions. The workshop enlightened both students and teachers alike. By the end it, OWL 2022 not only gave its attendees a real ponder but a true chance for a “Monarch to be on the throne.”
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