On September 27, over 110 Jefferson Awards student leaders from Central Florida attended the 8th annual Students in Action Leadership Conference held on the campus of Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs. The conference was designed and facilitated by students in the UCF LEAD Scholars Academy program. The LSA is a selective, two-year academic leadership development program for students committed to academic excellence and making a difference in the world around them. The scholars make a difference in the UCF and Central Florida community with thousands of hours of community service each year.
The Students in Action Leadership Conference trains and empowers high school students to think big; choose their own public service passion; engage their entire school and broader communities; and create maximum impact.
Students participated in a series of workshops aimed to assist them in leading an action-oriented volunteer service culture in their school while sharpening their leadership skills. The workshops centered on collaboration, innovation, effective communication, team building and problem solving.
Participating schools included: Bayside High School, Cocoa Beach High School, Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Eustis High School, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Lake Brantley High School and Spruce Creek High School.
Jefferson Awards:
In 1972, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr., and Sam Beard co-founded the Jefferson Awards to create a Noble Prize for public service in America. For more than 40 years, the Jefferson Awards has recognized the highest levels of excellence in community and national service. The Jefferson Awards is now focusing on activating and training the next generation of Americans who will go on to become Jefferson Awards winners.
Students in Action:
Students in Action was created in partnership with Deloitte with the aggressive goal of helping to double volunteerism in America’s high schools. The strategy is to create Jefferson Awards youth leadership teams in each high school that celebrate great volunteers, inspire others to get involved and help raise additional resources to expand volunteer activities in the areas of need. Students in Action is currently operating in over 325 high schools nationwide and in 12 regions: Boston, Chicago, Delaware, Central Florida, Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Jersey, New York, Pittsburgh, the San Francisco Bay area, South Carolina and Toledo.
The Office of LEAD Scholars Academy in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services. For more information on the Jefferson Awards, visit: www.JeffersonAwards.org.