Introducing the Walker Leadership Institute

 The new Walker Leadership Institute (WLI) – designed to teach student leaders how to lead – has officially launched!

Earlier this month, 30 students in positions of leadership within Walker’s most active clubs and organizations in the Upper School attended the institute’s first of eight sessions: Practicing Communication: Authenticity & Adaptability in Public Speaking led by Katie Arjona.

During the session, students learned how to authentically present themselves and their organizations at meetings, as well as how to use language to inspire and inform different audiences. In addition to learning about critical delivery skills such as eye contact, gestures and prosody, students also wrote their own announcement for an upcoming Upper School assembly and practiced delivering it to their peers. 

“We already work to identify students with leadership potential, but if we just identify them and don’t teach them how to lead, we are failing them,” said Upper School Head Ryan Clements. “The Walker Leadership Institute is a great opportunity to get students access to more targeted leadership training.”

Members of the institute’s inaugural class include students who hold elected leadership positions or those who have been nominated by their club or organization sponsor. 

Sessions will be held monthly during lunch and include topics on marketing, event planning, effective delegation, developing trust, building partnerships, inclusive leadership, and leading with passion and conviction. Presenters include Walker’s own faculty and staff, as well as WSA leaders and local entrepreneurs.  

“I love that we are leveraging the talent in our own faculty, but also in the larger Walker community and beyond,” said Clements. “As the program evolves, we hope to expand and invite even more business and community leaders to share their expertise with our students.”

Student members of the institute are tasked with sharing what they have learned in each session with others in their clubs and organizations. 

The next WLI session – Buzz Builders: How to Market Your Event & Get People Talking! – will be led by Walker’s marketing team and is scheduled for Thursday, October 9^th.