Jane's Pocket Change: Making Space
In connection with my November 16 Pocket Change about student purpose and community building, I’ve recently been reading The Path to Purpose by William Damon. Damon defines purpose as “a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self." This is a concept that that we regularly strive to convey to our students, specifically in our leadership programming. Earlier this week, I sat down with Jordan Clark, Director of Student Programs for Equity and Inclusion, to discuss CSW’s student leadership program and how we ensure that students receive the training they need to emerge as confident, accountable leaders. An excerpt from our conversation is below:
In connection with my November 16 Pocket Change about student purpose and community building, I’ve recently been reading The Path to Purpose by William Damon. Damon defines purpose as “a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self." This is a concept that that we regularly strive to convey to our students, specifically in our leadership programming. Earlier this week, I sat down with Jordan Clark, Director of Student Programs for Equity and Inclusion, to discuss CSW’s student leadership program and how we ensure that students receive the training they need to emerge as confident, accountable leaders. An excerpt from our conversation is below:
JEM: Your role as Director of Student Programs for Equity and Inclusion is a new one. As you move into the position, what are some of your initial observations with regards to student leadership? What’s working and what’s not?
JEM: Your role as Director of Student Programs for Equity and Inclusion is a new one. As you move into the position, what are some of your initial observations with regards to student leadership? What’s working and what’s not?
JC: The level of interest and energy in the students here is high. Kids are genuinely excited to take on leadership roles, and in my experience, this is something that’s very unique to CSW. The key is to harness that enthusiasm and recognize it as a starting point. Creating a group and claiming yourself as the leader is only the beginning of a learning process; the real work begins after. Leadership is a commitment, and as students take on that responsibility, they need to learn to step back from their individual motivations and discover what it means to provide a service to the community.
JEM: In many ways, leadership is really a form of service; each leader provides a service to their given group. To me, it’s a circle of growth. A student has an idea, they form a group, and then, slowly but surely, they begin to recognize themselves as leading contributors. They begin to feel more needed and more listened to. And as different challenges arise, they grow as people. It’s a process that goes so far beyond the initial claim of leadership.
JC: It’s all about finding the balance between content and skill set. If you walk out of a class being able to articulate all the content that you learned, that’s great. But in the real world that content might not necessarily be as important as the skill sets you’re able to apply and master. Listing that you were the leader of five groups on your college application means nothing if you can’t articulate and exhibit the skills you learned and the services you provided as the head of those groups. You need to go further and show that you can facilitate a meeting, motivate others, and synthesize feedback. The context will change, but if these skills are there, our students can thrive in any environment.
JEM: In terms of training and preparation, much of that happens early in the year when school is just starting for peer mentors, dorm leaders, and SDLC participants. Is there more that we can do to prepare students for positions of leadership?
JC: Ideally, it’s a year-round process, starting before students are elected. I think students should have the opportunity to go through leadership training without necessarily having the guarantee of an elected position. The back-to-school component could then be a refresher — a time for setting goals that can be assessed and measured throughout that year. When a structure like this is in place, you really start to see meaningful growth. Leadership becomes an integral part of our academic program, and not just an additional open space that is all about the title.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.