Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Student Success: Plan an Event

Weekly young students at our school get up in front of the whole school to discuss an event they are planning to help someone in need. They organize the event from the idea stage to research to presentation to putting on the event and reporting the results. It's amazing to see grade school students do this.

Similarly we hear of many middle school and high school students planning events as well.

Recently I've had to plan a big event with a number of educators from all over the state. It was a lot of work and a lot of learning too. We reached out to many people and learned a lot about what it takes to plan a good event, budget for it, and make it happen.

As I worked on this I realized that all students should have the opportunity to plan an event. It should not just be adults who are inclined in this way. Every child should have the chance to brainstorm ideas, make the calls, create the timeline, present the agenda, put on the event, and assess the results. How do we make this happen?

First, like in my school, I think creating a service learning culture is terrific. The principal of my school and a parent or two got this going a few years ago and it has transformed our entire school community in so many powerful ways.

Then with regard to all the high school and middle school events that occur, I believe that students should be part of all the planning and event committees. They should have a responsibility to contribute and learn in this way.

There are so many real world ways to hone your skills, knowledge, and concept, and planning a meaningful event is one way to do this.