(From the Jefferson Awards)
NEWARK, DE- On Saturday, November 17th, over 150 Jefferson Awards Student Leaders from Delaware attended the 6th annual Students in Action Leadership Conference that was held on the campus of the University of Delaware in Gore Hall.
The conference was the culmination of a semester partnership with the University’s Organizational and Community Leadership Major and the Lead 490 Capstone Class under the direction of Associate Professor, Dr. Karen Stein. This year’s Leadership Olympics was designed, and facilitated, by 11 members of Dr. Stein’s Capstone Class with over 15 high schools from around the State of Delaware participating. The students attending made up the Student in Action leadership teams in their respective schools.
The goal of the Students in Action Leadership Conference was to challenge the student leaders and develop leadership, communication and problem solving skills while building cross-cultural bonds and preparing them for active, contributing roles in their communities. The students participated in a series of workshops aimed to assist them in leading an action oriented volunteer service culture in their school while sharpening their leadership skills.
The Keynote Speaker was Philip Dulebohn. Dulebohn is an American pair skater who has competed in the World Championships, U.S. Championships and Winter Olympics with partner Tiffany Scott where they won a Gold Medal in the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He and Scott ended their partnership in 2005 and Dulebohn now coaches Scott and her new partner, Rusty Fein. He also participated with the Capstone Class and the Student Leaders in the final talent competition at the end of the day
The participating schools were Alexis I. DuPont, Caravel Academy, Charter School of Wilmington, Dover, Glasgow, McKean, Newark, Padua Academy, Salesianum School, St. Elizabeth, Sussex Technical, Tatnall School, Tower Hill, Ursuline Academy and William Penn.
For more information please visit the web site at: https://sites.google.com/a/udel.edu/leadership-olympics/”
About the Jefferson Awards
In 1972, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard co-founded the Jefferson Awards to create a Noble Prize for public service in America. For more than 40 years, the Jefferson Awards has recognized the highest levels of excellence in community and national service. The Jefferson Awards is now focusing on activating and training the next generation of Americans who will go on to become Jefferson Awards winners.
About Students in Action
The Students in Action (SIA) was created in partnership with Deloitte with the aggressive goal of helping to double volunteerism in America’s high schools. The strategy is to create Jefferson Awards youth leadership teams in each high school that celebrate great volunteers, inspire others to get involved and help raise additional resources to expand volunteer activities in the areas of need. Students in Action is currently operating in over 325 high schools nationwide and in 13 regions: Chicago, Delaware, Central Florida, Indianapolis, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the San Francisco Bay Area, Savannah, South Carolina and Toledo.