Leadership education and secondary school: a curricular perspective

The culmination of our efforts has resulted in a comprehensive, four-year curriculum guide entitled, FootPrints of a Leader: Studying the Path of Leadership. As stated in our methodology, the goal of this curriculum guide is to educate teachers about the study of leadership while offering students the benefits of active learning and a structured course of leadership study. Throughout the guide, numerous concepts, theories, and situations of leadership are defined and analyzed for the educator. Following each section, detailed descriptions of lessons and activities are provided to reinforce the student\u27s understanding of the material. Finally, a list of other suggested activities and text/ article recommendations follow for the educator to pursue on his or her own time. As Footprints of a Leader was created to act merely as a guide in the teaching of leadership, it is up to each individual instructor to apply his or her own creativity and personal touch in completing the educational journey of leadership. The roots of the Leadership Training Institute at John F. Kennedy High School and our curriculum can be traced back to the multidisciplinary leadership education provided at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. The thorough research, committed participation of many experts in the field of leadership and structured planning of the Jepson program serves as a stable and respectable foundation for both of these curriculums. The sincere impact that Kennedy\u27s leadership program has had on its students in just a few years coupled with our substantial research on the benefits of teaching leadership at the secondary level, allows us to feel confident in and optimistic for the students who are guided by this project