| abstract | - Students Engaged in Leadership (SEL) is a 9-month, innovative program for high school students in Pittsburgh Public Schools. It is conducted in partnership with A+ Schools, The Coro Center for Civic Leadership and the Marilyn G Rabb (MGR) Foundation. Why is Students Engaged in Leadership necessary? Teachers, principals, administrators, parents, community leaders, and elected officials are shaping the agenda for public schools in our city. Shouldn’t students be involved in the conversation? We think so. And that’s why SEL exists. Our goal is to create the conditions for students to build collaborative relationships to advance their plan for change. Who are the students? Program participants represent Pittsburgh Public and Charter High Schools. They have been nominated by their school to participate because of their untapped leadership potential. Students that choose to participate accept the challenge of driving the program and pushing themselves and their peers to stretch, sharpen and grow their ability to affect change. How are students prepared to affect change? Our approach is to use advocacy and leadership development through requiring students to take the lead, drawing on their experience and connecting them to others so that they can achieve the following: Transform themselves into a tight and focused team. Discover and define their team’s ideas for change. Strategically develop relationships—across all levels of the school system and all levels of the community. Put their ideas into action.
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