SLO County school named exemplar for student leadership model. Here’s which one
C.L. Smith Elementary School was named a lighthouse school last spring due to its practices under the “Leader in Me” education model.
It’s the only school in San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara counties to have earned the title, according to 6th grade teacher Gretchen Ziemer.
The Leader in Me initiative aims to build leadership skills in students and is related to the principles outlined in Dr. Steven Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Teachers integrate the seven habits into classroom teaching to help students take ownership of their academic and social lives, according to student success specialist Stacy Sancho.
The Leader in Me model was fully implemented at C.L. Smith in 2022. Since the initial implementation, the program has grown at C.L. Smith, and the school was named an exemplary campus last spring, earning Lighthouse status.
Sancho told The Tribune the initiative has allowed students to get more involved in leadership.
“The kids are extremely bought into their growth, in academics especially,” Sancho said. “They are aware of where they currently are in all areas of academics, and then by goal-setting and knowing where they need to go, it has really allowed them to articulate their path to get to where they need to go.”
The school currently has around 80 fourth-through-sixth-grade students participating in leadership, Sancho said. Even more gain leadership experience through student clubs.
Sancho added that the campus has seen improved attendance and decreased behaviors since implementing the model.
“It’s been a huge way for all the students to really feel like they’ve been able to share their passions and their skills with each other,” she said. “It’s brought our community a lot closer together.”
The campus will celebrate its designation as a Lighthouse campus with students during an assembly on Friday.
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