Getting Involved

'Effective student participation must value the contribution that students make, meet genuine needs (ie. be about real things), have an impact or consequence that extends beyond the participants (ie. outside the clasroom), be challenging to participants, and provide the opportuinity for planning, acting and reflecting.' - Roger Holdsworth, University of Melbourne, Student Councils and Beyond, 2005

Student leadership is not only about formal 'leadership' programs. Students can be leaders in the classroom, through their actions in the playground, through their support for others, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or local community events or projects.

The whole school community benefits when students get involved in planning and decision-making and when participants, students, staff and community work together on issues they choose and value. Ideally, tasks also meet the academic or curriculum goals that the school is required to achieve.

Schools offer many other ways to become involved in leadership. Check out the list below for other ideas:

'Engaging with young people and getting our views is one very important way of helping to rebuild that sense of connection between us, the school and the community in which we live. It is an opportunity to feel respected and be confident that our views are being taken seriously.' - Young Person, World Youth Forum