4 Ways to Increase Student Leadership Programs in Your School
February 01, 2025
One of the topics I am most passionate about is the importance of student leadership programs. At Rochester High School, I have been a leadership adviser and teacher for 17 years, and I can definitely say that having student leadership opportunities is a game-changer and culture-maker for every single school.
So, if you don’t have a student leadership program, or have one that is really not producing the results that you want, here are four ways to increase student leadership in your school.
Have a Dedicated Student Leadership Class
In my district, we have a student leadership class in all three of our high schools. These classes teach students valuable skills like financial literacy, communication and teamwork. Students are able to plan school events, promote school culture and, best of all, work on these projects within the regular school day. This is especially helpful because many students who are interested in student leadership are also involved in a million other activities and sports, which can make an after-school leadership program really hard to maintain.
Focus on a Strategic Plan
If a student leadership class is not possible in your district, you can still promote student leadership by involving students in the process in the way that makes the best sense for your school. One approach is to consider a strategic plan -- but through students!
Start by forming a group with all sorts of students that you think would provide constructive feedback. Focus on three goals that would help improve and involve the entire student body. Make sure to encourage students to think beyond Homecoming or any “typical” events for your school and really think about what kinds of events would bring the entire community together.
For example, my students had a goal of doing more activities with the elementary schools in our district, so we put together an anti-bullying campaign, and we visited these schools throughout January.
Connect with Statewide Student Leadership Organizations
There are so many student leadership organizations in Michigan that can help provide advisers and schools with curriculum, program information and even summer camps to help grow leadership in your school.
One of my favorites is the Michigan Association of Student Council and Honors Societies. They run middle-level and high school camps in the summer, plus there are different gatherings throughout the year. In addition, they have different awards that schools can apply for. One award that I recommend is the Award of Excellence because it provides your student leadership group with a guide for what a really excellent student council or leadership class should look like, which can give your student leaders a perfect focal point.
Build Student-to-Administration Relationships
One of the best ways to increase student leadership in your school is to provide spaces where student leaders can provide input to the staff and administration. Two ways that I have seen this work in my district are through a program we call “Principal’s Cabinet” and our student school board representative.
The members of our “Principal’s Cabinet” are recommended by different staff members and student groups so that our principal gets feedback from a diverse cross-section of our student body. Our school board representative reports to our school board members and the community about the different activities in the school. I have also seen some examples where a school board representative is considered to be a non-voting member of the board – that would be amazing!
Overall, student leadership programs should not just include the most popular or outspoken members of your school. They should encourage students to improve their school, connect with their community and provide an outlet for any student to learn how to create and sustain an impact in their world. As I always tell my students: Student leadership is a lifestyle … for students and schools!
2024-25 Michigan Teacher of the Year Kelley Cusmano is an English Language Arts teacher at Rochester High School in Rochester Community Schools and is in her 20th year of teaching.