Leading in the Light of Christ

Posted on 05/11/2012

On Friday, May 4th the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board invited eight students in Grade 6 to 8, and one staff member, from each elementary school to come together at Bruce Power for a day dedicated to living our Catholic faith as we strengthen our leadership skills and learn about social justice issues.

As a kick-off to Catholic Education Week, students had a chance to explore how they can Lead in the Light of Christ as they deepen their understanding of our Catholic Graduate Expectations and Catholic Social Teachings through prayer and dynamic witness. The day ran from 9:00 to 3:15 and included a one-hour keynote presentation from Free the Children, an opportunity to participate in one of four workshops, and time to work as a school team to create an action plan for sharing the info learned and putting it into practice through a social justice initiative in their own school community.

Student representatives characterized the diversity of each school population and were chosen based on their leadership potential. They may be the ‘unsung heroes’ within each school community, Student Council or Me to We / Free the Children group representatives, or students who have demonstrated enthusiasm and passion for their Catholic faith & social justice.

Through the keynote presentation and workshops, the students learned about different leadership styles, identified their unique gifts and explored local and global justice issues. Students focused on how they can use their God-given gifts to make the world a better place.

Each student participated in one of four workshop in the morning: Habitat for Humanity provided an overview of its work in Bruce & Grey Counties; Giving Witness: SHHS & SMHS Mission Trips - high school students who went on mission trips to Nicaragua and El Salvador shared photos and stories; What’s Your Leadership Style? , led by Free the Children, provided an overview of the different types of leaders and how we can work together with others with different leadership styles; and Access to Education presented an overview of education around the world, barriers to education in some developing countries and what we can do about it.

Working in school teams, students had an opportunity to create an action plan to support their local community through concrete action and information sharing.

Our students are the leaders of tomorrow today. It is our hope that this day will ignite a spark that will empower our students to make connections between their Catholic faith and commitment to social justice in their personal lives, school and global communities.

Thanks to the generous support of Bruce Power, the Society of Engineering Professionals, Enbridge and the Power Workers Union, there was no cost for students to participate in this event.

A special thank you also goes out to the Social Justice & Leadership Day Planning Committee comprised of teachers Lisa Coville, Leslie Boerkamp, Kelly McGregor, Kim Luinstra & Religious Education and Family Life Consultant Amy Kieffer .