Choate Leadership Institute Programs Aid Student Groups
By Rebecca Han ’10
News Staff Reporter
With the goal to educate students about leadership in mind, the Choate Leadership Institute (CLI) planned several gatherings for fourth, fifth, and sixth form students that began on March 28. These serve the purpose of preparing them as they rise in status and seniority in student organizations. Amy Salot, English teacher and Associate Dean of Students, is the organizer of the events and oversees the CLI program as a whole.
The first meeting began at 10:30 on March 28 with fourth form students attending a mandatory program at the Paul Mellon Arts Center, for which they were excused from class. Mike Weber from the Leadership Institute, an organization outside of Choate, was invited as a guest speaker. Mr. Weber is an exciting orator who travels around the country giving presentations to young people, and hopefully inspiring them to participate and take a lead in their schools and communities.
During the hour-long program, Mr. Weber motivated students to think about leadership through interactive demonstrations. His goal was to introduce the concept of leadership and to compel the fourth form to stand out as models in the community as they further their careers at Choate. He explained, “Leadership is about actions and choices, not about positions or titles.” The response of his engaging and entertaining style was overwhelmingly positive. Arline Lee ’09 commented that Weber was “a good speaker, and he really connected well with the audience.”
In addition to hosting the form-wide meeting, the Choate Leadership Institute is the “vehicle through which Choate trains identified student leaders; people with a ‘title’”, according to Ms. Salot. The roles that members of the Judicial Committee, Student Council, or Peer Educators fulfill embody our definition of leadership in the community.
Earlier leadership training during the school year included two sessions around Labor Day weekend involving new team captains and prefects, two other leadership positions in the Choate community, as they prepared for the new school year to commence.
In addition, the CLI has two upcoming leadership programs planned. On April 12 and April 23, in-depth leadership sessions will be held with the JC, the SC, and Peer Educators, to provide additional training. The emphasis will be twofold: They should hope to become greater leaders in the community in general, as well as to gain specific knowledge of how to be more effective in their job. The “three pillars” of Choate’s model of leadership—personal integrity, moral courage, and commitment to community—will be incorporated into the training program.
