Leaders of tomorrow
Grade 12 student has 24 young leadership grads in Chesterfield Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
CHESTERFIELD INLET
A group of young students received their achievement certificates for completing a leadership program led by one of their older peers in Chesterfield Inlet yesterday, March 28.
The program was delivered by Victor Sammurtok School (VSS) Grade 12 student Roxy Sammurtok, who received her own Peer Leadership certificate at VSS earlier this month.
The leadership course is aimed at youth aged nine to 13, and in Grades 4 to 9.
Sammurtok said she delivered the eight units of the program to the group's 24 students during a 10-week period.
She said the leadership program covers a number of topics in its eight units, including healthy choices, while consistently revolving around a central theme of respect for others.
"The program encourages youth to be more involved in their school and community, and to not be afraid to lend a hand when they see someone needing help," said Sammurtok.
"As the program went along, they would always help each other out when it was needed.
"Some kids might not know how to spell correctly, or at all, so the older kids would usually help them with their spelling and things like that.
"It may not seem like much, but any help is appreciated by kids who need it."
Sammurtok placed sign-up sheets at VSS and the local co-op to get her 24 students, as well as providing a link for kids to sign up through Facebook.
She said she delivered the units in the VSS kitchen twice a week from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
"You really see a positive change in the attitudes of the kids as they go through the program.
"They tend to become more respectful towards others and, after a unit or two, they also tend to not pick on other kids while they're in the program.
"I've seen, myself, the program be effective with the older kids because some of them tend to get more involved, and volunteer more often, when they go back into school.
"The kids really loved this program, and they were happy to take part in almost every activity in the eight units.
"They're really excited to graduate because they put so much into it, and they want to see the program continue, but its funding ends March 31."
Sammurtok said the group's middle-aged students - the 10-and-11-year-olds - had the most fun with program activities because they tended to be more active and willing to give everything a shot.
She said kids who were very shy at the start of the program began to get more involved as it moved along, coming out of their shell and interacting more with others in the group no matter what their age.
"The program seems to be more interesting to the girls than the boys.
"I had six or seven boys in my group with 17 or 18 girls.
"But, it could also be, the boys simply have more things they can get involved with than the girls do.
"They're all smart kids who took the program, who are mostly helpful to begin with, so that's probably why it interests them to begin with."
