Safe and Positive Schools Coalition
Leadership Day
February 25th, 2008

A $120,000 two-year Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Grant received by the Summit County Educational Service Center made the February 25, 2008 “Safe and Positive Schools Coalition Leadership Day” possible.  Students in grades 8 through 12 were selected to participate by their schools.  Districts represented were: Barberton , Coventry , Cuyahoga Falls , Mogadore, Nordonia Hills, Norton, Revere , Springfield Stow-Munroe Falls , Tallmadge and Woodridge . 

Keynote speaker Rosalind Wiseman began the day with a motivating speech about leadership.  “The responsibility of a good leader, your responsibility as a leader, is to look at a situation and say, ‘just because this is common or normal, is it right?” “Your role as a leader in your school is to make sure that every person walking down the hall or sitting in a room has the right to have their voice heard.”  “Ask yourself ‘why am I here’?  The answer to that question is most likely because you feel passionately about being a leader”   “Leadership is messy, it is confusing, it can be lonely and uncomfortable; but I know that I am making a difference in the lives of teens and that’s what gets me up in the morning.”

Two-hundred students, 20 teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and even one school board member, were moved into pre-established breakout groups.  Sessions consisted of Concentric Circle (sponsored by OnTASC), Drugs and Alcohol Awareness (sponsored by Youngstown City Schools), and Indoor Initiative, sponsored by Camp Koinonia (Greek word meaning fellowship).  This session focused on problem solving.   Students were given challenges, such as sitting in a circle, all participants touching, and figuring out how to get all members in the circle standing up at the same time.  Not only did this activity promote creative problem solving, it formed a bond among the students which carried with them throughout their day.

Michael Herchik, Summit County ESC Leadership Consultant and manager of the Safe Schools and Violence Prevention grant, coordinated the activities of “Leadership Day.”    “It was an outstanding day for everyone that attended. Students were engaged and they gained a lot of knowledge to take back to their schools.  I am extremely pleased and proud of the way the day progressed.”