Segnatelli
The Leadership Institute Model
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more influence on what happens in this school than students acting alone [by themselves],” and
89% “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that “In school I have learned to contribute to solving
problems in the community [society].” A senior girl writes, “Leadership is a great way to have a
meaningful impact on one part of the community. The projects are more personal than NHS
(National Honor Society) because it is the students making connections and working with adults
from the beginning. We get to choose what means the most; what part of the community we
want to affect.” The comment that best illustrates how the SPLI links volunteerism, civic
education, and service learning is from a student who started with the Institute in 2000 and is
now at The University of Delaware. Her project was called “The Delta Force” an ambitious
mentoring approach to at-risk students, funded by a local business couple in the community, and
supported by the school administration and faculty. Her original project idea was adopted by
Anne Arundel County and implemented throughout the 12 high schools in the system. The goals
of the project were to “Achieve improvements in the overall character of 9
th
grade students who
are in the program by demonstrating a positive attitude, leadership, honesty, fairness, respect,
citizenship, and responsibility. To create a foundation for future mentors who are able to
demonstrate they are capable of inspiring others, connecting with others and effectively working
as a team (Anne Arundel County 2001).” She writes, “In high school, The Leadership Institute
was the most meaningful activity I was involved in. It allowed me to connect my role as
President of the Student Government Association to the work I was doing to earn my Gold Award
in Girl Scouts. It was as good as, if not better than the other volunteer activities outside of
school. The work I did with my church always seemed so distant to me. Delta Force showed the
County that we as students can really help each other when we want to. It was only because of
the Leadership Institute that the program ever came into being. Leadership allowed us, even as
high school students, to design, oversee, and complete our own projects, thus making it a more
fulfilling task, and allowed us to work on projects we were passionate about.” She was very
proud that her project idea touched so many lives directly, and even now, in college, keeps up
with the County level administrator in charge of overseeing the program in the high schools. The
sense of ownership that the students feel over the projects they work on while they are involved
Convention