Student government: A great training ground for young folks with leadership potential

Student government: A great training ground for young folks with leadership potential

Ask middle schoolers or high school students not involved in student government about the benefits and they’re likely to tell you one thing: it’s just one big popularity contest. Sure, in some schools this is true. But when teachers and administrators help to keep the process fair and students who show leadership potential are encouraged to get involved, just the process of running for student government can have lasting benefits.

As adults, we often hear, “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.” The same can be said about well-run student governments. Involvement in student council offers numerous benefits, such as:

• The chance to participate in decisions that affect them. It gives students the opportunity to have a say in school policies – and to set the example so that their friends and peers will do so, too.
• A better understanding of the democratic process. According to a Huffington Post article by Patricia Vanderbilt, a senior at Whitman College, “Women who are involved in student government are more likely to run for public office, according to research by Jennifer Lawless of the Women & Politics Institute at American University.”
• The chance to learn and develop leadership skills. Standing out as a college or job applicant is become more difficult, and a turn at student government is just the kind of leadership many admissions officers and employers are seeking. The earlier children develop these skills, the more they will benefit by the time it comes to apply for college. Even elementary students can benefit from participating in a student council.

One of the biggest lessons young people take away from involvement in student council is learning how to work with others who don’t necessarily share their views or ideas. In planning events and promoting projects as a group, students learn how to interact in a group dynamic. And since these activities take place outside an actual class setting, students tend feel more freedom to express their opinions and share their talents. Imagine how beneficial it would be to learn conflict management as a teen, as opposed to getting into the workplace without the ability to get along with all kinds of people.

The leadership experience associated with student government can also give youth leaders an important self-confidence boost. They are empowered to make decisions that affect themselves and their peers – and to see the results of their work and cooperation. Once you get past the “popularity contest” aspect of student council, in survey after survey, students see the role of student government as “making school better and more fun.” But just as in the adult world, once the campaign is over and the signs and banners come down, the real work of governing begins.

Involvement in student government can be just the nudge a child with potential needs to flourish.

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ALBERT MENSAH is a champion of opportunity and achieving one’s dreams. Rising from humble beginnings in Ghana, Africa, Albert has become one of the world’s leading student motivational speakers, regularly presenting to groups such as FCCLA, FFA, FBLA, DECA, 4-H, and numerous school assemblies and student council groups. Visit his website to book him to speak at your student assembly, career day, or state or national teachers’ conference.