Foreword

Dr. Warren G.Bennis, known as the "father of leadership", believes that "leaders are not born, but nurture", and the student period is undoubtedly an important stage to learn and develop leadership, and the demonstration of leadership is also an increasingly important part of the application for world famous universities. In modern pedagogy theory, "Leadership" is an important concept, which refers to the training and accumulation of speech presentation, teamwork, project management and other aspects of awareness and ability. 

This academic year, YWIES Shanghai Lingang also opened a special student leadership program, through a series of exclusive courses and practical activities to provide a platform for students, so that students have the opportunity to learn the relevant knowledge and skills of leadership, and become outstanding student leaders with outstanding comprehensive ability.

Ms. Maggie Zhou, Chinese Vice Principal and Chair of the Student Leadership Program, also gave us a detailed introduction:

"Our Student Leadership Program aims to encourage and motivate students to become better leaders, to achieve their goals and aspirations through communication, collaboration, and innovation, while contributing to the school community.  

Through a series of activities and projects, we hope to achieve the following goals: 

- Develop students' effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving skills, as well as leadership and time/resource management abilities.

- Through practical experience, reflection, and mentorship, help students develop self-awareness, self-leadership, and career planning, making them future leaders. 

- Encourage leadership in diverse fields related to our school culture, namely; Houses, Sports, Community & Culture, The Arts, Service Learning, and The Residence Hall Events & Operation.

- Inspire and empower students, cultivating global citizens with cultural inclusivity.

And we will use the following strategies:

• Embed the newly initiated student leadership structure where students can showcase their leadership and creativity while gaining experiences and skills. 

• Offer workshops and training sessions to support student leaders in their roles, as well as gaining personal long term leadership skills.  

• Provide staff and resources to support student leaders in developing the various committee action plans, leading to opportunities for students to plan and participate in school and community activities. 

• Network with staff within YCYW, as well as diverse organizations in Lingang to provide further opportunities for student projects, such as community service and volunteer opportunities, among others. 

• Provide opportunity for student leaders to network with other student leaders across our YCYW schools.  "

After a prudent and solemn selection process of application screening, campaign speeches, interviews and assessments, the new Student Leaders for the 23/24 school year have been selected. Congratulations to our outstanding YWIES students! 

In order to enhance the overall competence of our Student Leaders for the new school year, we have invited Mr. John Liu, Head of Pastoral Care of YCYW Education Network, to conduct a special training session for our students. In this new school year, our student leaders will be sure to stand firm in their beliefs, set an example and lead by example amongst the students!

As an international educational school with whole-person education, we attach great importance to the cultivation of students' sense of cooperation and social responsibility. Students' leadership is not only about self-improvement, but also about their influence on others. We hope students can exert their abilities in these student organizations to exercise their leadership ability and cultivate their sense of community service. Become a well-rounded and excellent student in the broad development space provided by our school!