More than 100 students from schools around the district gathered at Kent-Meridian High School Wednesday, January 7, 2015 for a leadership workshop designed for Latino middle school students.
“By helping to encourage these middle school students and reminding them that they are important, that being bilingual is beneficial, and that others care and love for them, I am giving them an opportunity where it did not exist before,” said peer mentor Sharette Bello-Suazo.
Throughout the day, participating students heard from inspiring speakers, spent time in large group activities, and worked in small groups of students from their own schools, and a mix of schools. Activities ranged from discussing cultural identity to team-building games to goal setting. District staff members, parents, teachers, and volunteers from community organizations who helped coordinate the workshop also shared experiences from their own lives.
“Student leaders continue to be an important part of creating positive school climates. As our school demographics continue to become more diverse it is important as a district we reach out specifically to populations that are traditionally underserved in student leadership positions,” said Executive Director Student and Family Support Services Randy Heath. “We have a responsibility to help create a vision of leadership and to nurture students’ skills so that they can feel confident to be a strong voice in the matters of their school.”
You can read more on the Kent School District website.
