When compared with students at four-year campuses, community college students show lower levels of participation in campus organizations and attendance at campus-sponsored events. According to a study, 80% of the student body almost never attended a meeting of a club, organization, or student government group. Yet, research has shown that student…

Describes the approach to extracurricular activities taken at Plainfield (Indiana) Middle School, where activities, including most sports and the Student Council, are open to all students. The no-cut policy gives students the confidence to take chances later in their lives, and the practice of tolerance and acceptance builds better citizens. (SLD)

Talbot Hill Elementary School in Renton, Washington, uses the MicroSociety model to make learning relevant and engaging for its diverse student population. Three afternoons each week, every student participates in a for-profit business, a governmental agency, or a nonprofit organization. Teachers prepare students to participate in the school's…

Student leaders reap many benefits and rewards as a result of their involvements with campus organizations. In addition to enjoying the respect of their peers, they have opportunities to meet a variety of faculty, staff and students, exposing them to a range of different personalities and cultures. They typically grow in self confidence and…

An administrative assistant at an Illinois elementary school designed a practicum around a rules-review process supported by the principal and her teacher leadership team. Students brainstormed with their teachers to develop rights and responsibilities statements, which were forwarded to the student council. The process converted 68 rules to 5…

Wenatchee Valley College's (WVC's) student leadership development program has been successful in identifying and developing people to perform leadership roles within the campus community. Rather than waiting for student leaders to emerge on their own, the program actively recruits high caliber people into WVC's student activity program. At campus…

The educational program at Captain Shreve High School is described. Elements that contribute to the school's reputation for excellence are discussed: parent involvement, handbooks for students and teachers stating school policy, strict discipline, faculty cohesiveness, high test scores, representative student council, and involvement by local…

The Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) encourages Manitoba high schools to include students in their improvement projects. Through an array of action-oriented, student-centered initiatives, MSIP has come to a new understanding of "student voice" that encompasses various levels of students' engagement in both school improvement…

In the Fall of 2004, after many years of discussion by adults in the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, the Somerville Youth Council started. For several months, a youth planning group met weekly to craft the mission of the council and the by-laws. There was a critical need to create a process to enable youth of the city to explore possible…

The nature of changes in students and institutions since the 1950s and ecological responses to keep the student governance system current with institutional and student needs are discussed. Brigham Young University's approach is used as an example. Ecological models suggest that, even in systems where there are relative differences in power…

This bulletin reports on five high schools that have effective, comprehensive student leadership programs. First, it reviews ways in which student councils can enrich students' lives. In addition to having a positive effect on students' success in school and later life, involvement in student activity programs influences the way that students…

As part of citizenship education, school councils have been set up in primary schools based on adult models of democratic committees. This article looks at children's and teachers' perspectives on their school councils and goes on to analyse the ways in which alternative strategies for addressing the constraints identified were developed in three…

For a middle school student council to be effective, it must address the unique behaviors of and situations that arise for adolescents. The development of decision-making skills, conflict resolution skills, and cooperative learning and working not only provides a framework for success as a council, but also enables students to maximize their own…

The United Nations' Child Friendly Cities movement is committed to implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. School boards can participate by augmenting a safe physical environment with a policy environment that treats children with respect; encouraging meaningful participation in school governance; recognizing and addressing the…

Asserts that students can make sound decisions regarding educational change. Discusses the shift from adult to student-led decision making in a California middle school's student council program. Describes activities organized by the student council and the resulting growth of student responsibility. (CFR)