Southwestern Leadership partnered with Irving Elementary School to bring Leadership Elementary Day to approximately 50  Winfield fourth-graders to teach them about Leadership on Friday, Nov. 12.

The theme was based on the movie “Up,” and Leadership students taught the students lessons titled, “Building Up relationships” and “Communicating it Up.”

“Through these lessons and the fun activities designed to accompany them, it is hoped that the elementary students will learn more about behaviors that are important in leading others,” said Cheryl Rude, Leadership director.
There were guest speakers at the event, as well as staff from the SC admissions office.

“The final goal for the day is to help the elementary students dream and plan a service project of their own,” said Rude. “Then they will return to Southwestern for a day in the spring in order to complete and celebrate their project.”
The students were brought to Messenger and then Wroten Halls to experience the campus, where they shared lunches with the Leadership students, provided by the Sodexo.

“Leadership Southwestern believes that it is important to start helping young people develop their leadership skills and behaviors at a young age, so that they grow up into persons capable of creating positive change,” said Rude. “Elementary Leadership Day helps to expand the Leadership skills of Southwestern students by allowing them to design and teach their own leadership curriculum and organize a large-scale leadership event.”