Centre for Character and Leadership (CCL) conducted a one-day leadership training to the members of the student council at Drumvale Secondary School located in Njiru Sub-County. With structured guidance and mentorship, the student leaders were empowered to make ethical decisions, take ownership of their actions, share responsibilities with their peers, and reflect on their character growth and academic achievement.

CCL leadership program for the members of student council provides sessions that are geared to develop their leadership skills based on servant-leadership model – a leadership philosophy that prioritizes ethical decision making, the building of community and the optimal development of all involved. The Student councils in schools are an extension of school management roles. The student councils are entrusted with responsibilities that help to build up or strengthen school culture and climate. The elected members of the student council acts as a third eye of the school; giving support to the school management; maintaining the smooth running of school activities; linking the students to the school management; and disciplinary roles such as identifying and reporting cases of indiscipline and making sure that the school rules are adhered to.
A good student leader needs guidance, knowledge and wisdom. During the training, students were engaged through interactive sessions which included servant leadership and virtue development, role of student leaders in school management as well as managing and resolving conflicts in schools. Speaking during the training, the facilitator urged the students to embrace the school vision, mission and build a community that inculcates their school core values which include godliness, self-discipline, fairness and commitment. Other key sub-topics that were covered included qualities of a good leader, role models, how to become a good member of the student council, student council roles and responsibilities, student council code of conduct as well as causes and effective ways of resolving or mitigating conflicts.

The participants enthusiastically shared their leadership experiences and brainstormed through group discussions on various challenges which are effecting their school culture negatively. This included negative peer pressure, poor time management skills, poor reading culture, prevalence of boy-girl relationships among students and school indiscipline i.e. stealing cases and noise making with the help of the facilitators, the students designed an implementation plan which will guide them to monitor and control the prevailing incidents as well as enhance the development of a positive school culture and climate. An immediate outcome of the training was the commitment of the teacher in-charge of guidance and counselling to work collaboratively with the student council in order to identify and recruit the peer counsellors. In conclusion, the students were highly impacted by the training as captured by the following testimonials.

“I have worked on my anger management since the last leadership training. I am now able to practice the virtue of self-control,” said the Nutrition Captain
“Thank you so much for bringing to us someone whom we can easily identify with; she has really inspired me to work hard and get an excellent grade in order to go to the university,” said an elated student leader.
“Thank you so much for the training. You have really inspired us to become better leaders. We promise to work together as student leaders in order to achieve better results,” said the School Captain.
The training was facilitated by Peter, Millicent and Gilda. In attendance were teacher Nancy and Mr. Maela.