The student council at TASIS Dorado, a private school in Dorado, Puerto Rico, has a tradition of celebrating National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) to honor students who might not get the recognition they deserve as student leaders. This week, TASIS Dorado students and their adviser are looking at ways to make their celebration even larger and more inclusive. Adviser Karen Miranda and student Tobias Luksemberg, the council secretary, share how their school celebrates NSLW.
What has your school done to celebrate in previous years?
Karen: Three years ago, we started with something called Spotlights, where we highlight student leaders during the week from across the school on social media and other ways. We send an email to faculty and staff and ask them to tell us about students who did something leadership related in the classroom or in an organization or as part of a group at the school
Tobias: The students we recognize are mostly not from our student council. For example, last year, one of the highlights was celebrating the president of the Thespian Honor Society, who brought a Broadway musical to the school. Others we have highlighted include students who who’ve been involved with things like community service or who were team captains in sports or were involved in some of the many other clubs we have here.
How are the students recognized for their leadership?
Karen: A lot of it is through our Instagram page (@tasisstuco), but we also include something in our morning announcements for the entire school, and we share the information to the community with printed copies of Spotlights. The students don’t know in advance that they are getting spotlighted, so it’s a nice surprise for them.
Are you planning anything different for this year?
Tobias: We’ve created an association of student councils across Puerto Rico, and one thing we’re trying to do is connect all the schools so we can highlight students not only from our school but from other schools. We hope everyone can feature leaders on their social media and in their schools, as we have done, and then we can make a compilation of all the schools and how they celebrated. We are hoping to have about 20 schools participate.
Do you have any advice for other student councils that want to do something similar for NSLW?
Tobias: The main thing is to always focus on the student leaders and uplift their voices so it’s not about the student council. It should include all students who are making a positive impact, no matter how large or small. Anyone who demonstrates leadership in the school should be celebrated during the week.
What’s the best part about this week at your school?
Karen: For me, it’s about highlighting what’s happening throughout the building. The students know about what’s going on with sports teams and the top athletes, but we have had coaches tell us about players who make important contributions that aren’t known outside the team. And in general, I enjoy highlighting students who are doing really good work in their own organizations or projects.
Tobias: As student council officers, we hear from the principal that we’re doing a good job, but other leaders don’t usually get that recognition, and maybe they feel like their activities aren’t as impactful in our school. But they really are, and this week allows them to take pride in their hard work and their leadership skills. It’s a nice way to let them have the spotlight, too.
