Leadership and Educational Policy Studies (LEPS)
LEPS is a six-week program designed to create a cadre of students in grades 9-12 with advanced skills in professional and personal development and a working knowledge of education policy. Components include leadership development, field trips, educational policy studies, mentoring, and evaluation.
Program Details
LEPS is designed to operate independently in each participating school as a three hours per week after school activity or on Saturdays. As an after school activity the program would consist of two 90-minute sessions, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday, or three 60-minute sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each program would begin with a motivational speaker followed by a series of leadership development exercises and/or assignments. Individual or group projects would focus on a specific education policy issue. Activities could include visits to local Board of Education hearings/meetings pertaining to specific issues, City Council Committee hearings/meetings on specific issues, and Local School Council meetings. Local resources could include education reform groups. Young Hispanic professionals would serve as mentors. Individual/Group project reports would be presented at each participating school and evaluated. The best project report would be presented at a competition involving all participating schools.
Program Events
All participating schools would be brought together on two occasions. The first would be to participate in a field trip to the state capitol to attend hearings held by the House Education Committee and the Senate Education Committee and to visit with legislative members of those committees. The other would be for the presentation of awards based on the project reports and certificates at the conclusion of the program cycle (fall/spring).
This program would be highly recommended for students with leadership potential and a demonstrated interest in policy analysis and advocacy.