LeaderSpark is a curriculum designed to enhance the leadership skills of youth through high quality, interactive skill building workshops to produce strong emerging leaders. It utilizes a proven leadership curriculum, practical topics, youth-driven discussions, and hands-on interactive activities
LeaderSpark is organized around topics covered in sessions of the program.

Participants identify their own goals to utilize in the program.
Click here to see three examples of project action plans from the LeaderSpark curriculum.

The approach used in LeaderSpark exemplifies the norms and philosophy of the program. The program "models" running effective meetings, encouraging shared leadership, and pacing the materials and discussions to meet participants' needs. Agendas are developed and minutes or notes from the session are sent out to program participants regularly.

Feedback sheets are a part of each topic so that the program can make adjustments as needed.

Awareness, Practice and Application
LeaderSpark approaches group leadership training through three methods to engage the learner: Awareness; Practice; and Application. (A.P.A.)

Awareness involves having participants become more observant of their own leadership behaviors and the behaviors of others. This is carried out in the following ways:

• Assessing own strengths in each of the substantive topics
• Setting goals as part of learning in each session
• Sharing strategies in small groups on how to work effectively with people and manage groups and projects.
• Networking among participants with adult facilitators and other adult role models.
• Observation assignments or outside group activities between sessions to increase awareness and prepare for the next topic.

Practice is reflected in the structure and format of the curriculum topics. Youth are not passive learners at LeaderSpark, but rather are actively engaged in large and small group interactions, discussing issues relevant to them and their groups. Practice is carried out in the following ways:

• Participants have opportunities in each session to meet in small task groups to work on problem areas and practice team-building activities and being an effective group member.
• Participants rotate playing the "leader" role in small breakout groups of 4-7 members. As leader, participants practice staying on time and on task and keeping group members involved in moving towards completion of tasks.
• Participants rotate playing the "timekeeper" role in small groups, helping the group stay on time and task. A timekeeper helps the leader complete the discussion on time.
• Participants rotate playing the "recorder" role in small breakout groups. As recorder, participants practice active listening skills and taking down key words to summarize discussion points. Recorders report back on their group’s ideas and summarize highlights to the full group, often gaining practice using a microphone.
• During the Interviewing and Making a Presentation topic all participants prepare a speech practice their presentation to be delivered during the final session.
  

Application is the overall goal of LeaderSpark. The awareness, knowledge, skills, and practiced behaviors of group leadership can be applied immediately. The curriculum deals with real problems and offers practical solutions. "Application" of knowledge and strategies is encouraged in the following ways:

• The format of the curriculum provides many opportunities for participants to relate strategies to their own situation and group needs.
• Participants plan a group project (Topic #3) that they will carry out.
• There is opportunity at each session for participants to share how they have applied what they have learned.
• Participants share the information and materials through presentations made at the final LeaderSpark session.
• Through the "networking" in the program, alumni may be selected for community boards or to represent their school or organization in special programs.
  
• Participants are encouraged to take advantage of community service opportunities.
• LeaderSpark alumni often come back to participate as “Topic Leaders” to help facilitate, and to share how they have applied their LeaderSpark knowledge and strategies in their schools, community groups and projects.

Click here to view our PowerPoint presentation.