Cultivating Leaders
Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY SHARON KLEIN, DEPUTY HEAD EDUCATION
“True leadership enables people to realize their full potential and gives them the tools and freedom to achieve what had been thought impossible. But before you can unlock the potential in others, you must first unlock it in yourself.”
Sharon Klein and Prefects
When I first came to QMS, I was asked to teach a leadership course. There was just one catch—I would have to create it first. Being new to Queen Margaret’s School, I had no idea what this might look like in my new landscape. I knew that as far back as WWII, QMS had been recognized as “...that little school somewhere on Vancouver Island that produces such a high percentage of leadership material.” (pg. 229) I began to think about what it really meant to create confident young leaders for the 21st century. What were the key ingredients? Could leadership be measured? How could I create a leadership program within the school that could really change lives and perspectives? Under the mentorship of Pat Rowantree (Head of School at the time), and Shelley McClure, a past parent who had completed her Master’s degree in leadership for girls, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. Now, the foundation of our leadership program at QMS is our signature course, Leadership 10: Journeying to the Heart of Young Leaders: Personal Mastery in Girl, developed by Shelley McClure. This course provides our girls with in-depth, meaningful inquiry about themselves, the foundation for authentic leadership. Girls learn that they can be a leader, leading from anywhere they stand. The success of the program has been phenomenal, and Shelley and I have had the opportunity to speak about it both nationally and internationally.
A decade after I first started to revitalize our leadership curriculum, the school has developed a leadership framework that encompasses the whole school, in every department. Within each of the four pillars of QMS, leadership opportunities are available for students to pursue their passions and provide peer guidance. In the Senior School, eight girls are elected by their peers each year to form our Prefect Council. At least 50 other girls are appointed to captain positions, leading both in the school, out at the barn, and in residence.
To augment our leadership curriculum, we also started Leadership 9, a half-year course that focuses on building leadership skills, particularly working in teams and carrying through a project such as the Youth in Philanthropy Initiative (students research charities in the local community, create presentations, and have the opportunity to win $5000 for their chosen charity). Service and leadership are also brought together through the Service Learning course, offered to students in Grades 10 to 12 who participate in our global service trips.
Another signature course that rounds out our leadership curriculum is our Intercultural Studies 9, which helps students to understand com-plex intercultural relationships. Another addition to our leadership framework is a three-week leadership exchange with Traflagar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario. Each year, students from each school are immersed in another school and complete a leadership growth plan and implement the plan in their new surroundings. This has been a very rewarding experience for both schools.
As I embark on my next personal leadership adventure as Head of St. George's Montreal next year, I am thrilled that leadership opportunities at Queen Margaret’s School are very evident and our program is thriving. Our signature program is recognized and lauded across Canada. Are we raising confident young leaders at Queen Margaret School? Absolutely! It has not only been a pleasure but a privilege to be part of building this fantastic program over the past ten years.