YI Student Leadership

Vision

Every student councilor will aspire to be a scholar, a sportsman and a statesman.

Mission

To develop Yusoffians leaders who are committed to serving the school and community with integrity and compassion.

Student Leadership Development

Our approach to Student Leadership Development is to teach Yusoffian leaders the school core values and a set of practices that develop them to become leaders of influence who will bring about transformation. This set of five practices of exemplary leadership is based on the Leadership Challenge, which is an evidence-based leadership model created by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner of Santa Clara University. 

Student Leadership Development

Our approach to Student Leadership Development is to inculcate in Yusoffians the qualities of determination, innovation and boldness of statesmen. Yusoffian leaders, guided by the school core values, are trained to acquire skills that enable each individual to become leaders of influence who will bring about transformation.

Three Areas of Focus in YI Student Leader Development

 This set of five practices of exemplary leadership based on the Leadership Challenge Model by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner are:

·        Model the Way (M),

·        Inspire a shared vision (I),

·        Challenge the process (C),

·        Enable others to act (E) and

·        Encourage the heart (E)

These concepts serve as beacons that guide the training and assessment of student leaders.

Students in the leadership programme are trained to be bold and innovative in their work and to seek to challenge the status quo. The Student Leadership team believes that true growth begins when students take on the responsibility to move beyond the present circumstances.

YI Student Leadership Development

Every YI student goes through the level-wide leadership development programme which focuses on student Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Areas covered include self-awareness and self-management skills, as well as social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Students also learn 21CC skills of Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and Cross Cultural Skills (CGC); Critical and Inventive Thinking (CIT) and Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills (CCI). These focus areas are incorporated into the school-based cohort camps and level-wide start our right programmes. The school Co-curricular programme which is compulsory for all students is an important practice platform. CCA teachers deliberately weave the learning of SEL and 21CC skills into the yearly CCA plans. The school also ensures that all students participate in the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Bronze.

The school leadership selection process is one that is based on the foundation that leadership begins with the single step of accepting responsibility. There are several entry points for students to be a part of the student leaders’ programme. Teachers nominate students who show potential in secondary 1 and 2 to be peer leaders who progress to become student councillors in secondary 3 and 4. Students who are keen are also welcomed to self-nominate. CCA leaders are developed through the CCAs and every class nominates and elects class leaders at the start of every school year. Training is designed to allow students to understand and internalise the MICEE concepts. Students take on projects and responsibilities to put into practice the concepts.

The assessment of student leadership development is correspondingly aligned to MICEE. The school has developed a set of rubrics on a 5-point Likert scale for leadership self-assessment. This assessment structure requires peers and teachers to provide feedback such that each student leader is able to formulate personal improvement targets yearly.

Training Programme:

 Student Leader Recognition

Yusof Ishak Secondary School celebrates the achievements of our student leaders. Each year, the student investiture ceremony and farewell ceremony is organised to acknowledge the contribution of every student leader. Our student leaders are recognised for their services through the LEAPS and Eagles Award Recognition platform. YI also recognises outstanding student leaders through the school Statesmen Award.

Words of Inspiration:

Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure... because you won't ... it's whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.

BREAKTHROUGH: SEEING BEYOND YOURSELF 

Many times, we allow our fear, our self-doubts, our struggles to prevent us from stepping out into our destiny. Most of the fears and struggles are very real. Was I fearful of making public speeches? Definitely! Did I struggle when I had to lead a group of leaders in planning for events and camps? Certainly! But when we are facing those mountains, let us learn to see beyond ourselves; beyond our fears, our struggles. Embrace and acknowledge them, and move on ahead. By doing that intentionally, it unlocks the potential in you.

DEFYING GRAVITY, EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

 YI student leaders must strive to achieve personal greatness. This means that one must learn to step out of their comfort zone and to be bold and reflective with what they do.

We all start from the basics – learning to communicate with peers. Then mastering the skills of speaking up and finding innovative ideas for different school events. Many setbacks you will meet, and much sweat and tears shed. You may want to give up but despite that, learn and change from every mistake. You will grow into someone that you never imagined yourself to be.