KUA's Leadership Institute

Do you have family and friends headed back to school? This time of year, news feeds are full of FDOS (first day of school) posts, and kids across the country are armed with fresh pencils, notebooks, and enthusiasm for what the year will bring.

 

At KUA, our school year begins with a leadership training institute designed to equip our returning student leaders with the skills and tools they need to help welcome new students and guide us all through the year. Riley ’21 is a returning student leader and is a member of the Campus Activity Board. Riley describes the institute: “The training that we have been through is not only a whole lot of fun but has been great for helping out the new students. It certainly can be applied to situations outside of school as well.”

 

The leadership institute included seminars on leadership skills, small group break-out sessions, and a trip to Storrs pond to connect with each other and cool off in the late August heat. Riley adds that “my favorite part of training has been learning the ice breaker games. It allowed me to get to know some of the familiar faces on campus even better than I did last year.” Each small group of student leaders was charged with creating their own ice breaker games, which was repeated with new students when they arrived yesterday.

 

Riley has learned that the key to creating and supporting an effective community is “through increased communication. Through this experience, as leaders, we have really gotten to know each other well. If there is ever a student in need, we can more effectively help them because we know each other well.”

Interested in seeing more from the institute and orientation? Click here to see pictures on flickr!