Leading the Way - Youth Leadership Guide

Leading the Way: Youth Leadership Guide was developed to improve youth leadership skills and to encourage participation in physical activity. This resource supports young people in developing and enhancing the skills they need to successfully plan, organize, and implement their own programs. Leading the Way can help young people do the following:

• Develop positive attitudes toward youth leadership, cooperation, and participation in intramural sports and in health-promoting school and recreation activities
• Learn how to plan, organize, and operate their own programs with increasing autonomy and pride
• Develop individual and cooperative leadership skills through participation in organized leadership groups
• Strengthen skills such as teamwork, trust building, responsibility, decision making, and problem solving
• Develop lifelong skills through leadership training that will be beneficial in all areas of their lives

Who should use Leading the Way? This handbook is designed for anyone who is developing leaders among children or young people in a school or community setting:

• Elementary teachers can use Leading the Way to facilitate students' first leadership roles, whether in a mentoring program, for a special event, or for taking on administrative tasks.
• Secondary teachers and students can use Leading the Way to plan and implement both credit and noncredit courses and to supplement existing courses in their schools.
• Recreation and community youth group leaders can use Leading the Way to provide ideas and methodologies to develop and implement a youth-run program.
• Youth leaders can use Leading the Way as a tool to help them develop the skills needed to work effectively with their peers in a variety of school and community contexts (student council, intramural sports, camp counseling roles, etc.).

Audience

Teachers, community leaders, and peer youth leaders working with children and young people to build leadership skills.

Chapter 1. Understanding Leadership Development
Leadership: A Definition
Beliefs About Leadership Development
Beliefs About Inclusive Participation

Chapter 2. Becoming an Effective Leader
The Role of the Facilitator
Developing Effective Leaders
Leadership Qualities and Skills
Leadership Styles
Activities & Worksheets

Chapter 3. Building a Leadership Team
Selecting Leaders
Motivation: Why Get Involved?
Understanding Group Dynamics
Leadership Actions for Team Development
Activities & Worksheets

Chapter 4. Developing Leadership Skills
Communications Skills
Communications Activities & Worksheets
Problem Solving
Problem Solving Activities & Worksheets
Time Management
Time Management Activities & Worksheets
Stress Management
Stress Management Activities & Worksheets

Chapter 5. Taking the Lead: Leadership in Action
Opportunities for Leadership Activity
Getting Organized: The Planning Process
Getting Organized Activities & Worksheets
Getting Together: Meetings and Presentations
Getting Together Activities & Worksheets
Making It Happen: How to Organize Events
Making It Happen Activities & Worksheets
Getting the Message Out: Publicity and Promotion
How Did We Do: Evaluation
How Did We Do Activities & Worksheets
Awesome! Celebration and Recognition

Chapter 6. Resources