The Springfield City School District is proud to announce its participation in The Leader in Me initiative, a worldwide leadership model developed for schools that builds confidence and life skills in students, creates a high-trust school culture and lays the foundation for sustained academic achievement beyond the classroom. The SCSD is the only District in the greater Dayton region in which all buildings are designated as Leader in Me schools.
Leader in Me was originally developed by a principal and teachers in North Carolina who wanted to teach their students life skills alongside academics. Together, they believed leadership, responsibility, accountability, problem solving, adaptability and social-emotional skills were just as important as math and reading.
There are over 5,000 Leader in Me schools in all 50 states and in over 50 countries. Prior to the implementation of the initiative in the SCSD, District educators visited several Leader in Me schools around the country to understand how a Leader in Me school operates.
“Leader in Me creates an environment where each of our students is able to unlock their potential to be a leader, no matter what type of leader that may be,” said SCSD Superintendent Dr. Bob Hill. “Even the youngest of our Wildcats are learning valuable life skills such as how to be proactive, how to set goals, how to efficiently work together and how to take care of your mental and emotional health as part of their daily curriculum.”
The District also recently trained more than 1,000 staff members in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which directly translates to the principles of The Leader in Me.