How Student Council Builds Leadership Skills at Renbrook
What does it mean to be a leader? Is it standing confidently before a crowd, organizing an event, or inspiring others to get involved? At Renbrook School, students are discovering that leadership is all of these things, but it is also something more fundamental: listening, collaborating, taking responsibility, and making a positive difference in their community.
Through a renewed approach to Student Council (StuCo), Renbrook’s Upper School students are experiencing leadership development firsthand, gaining practical skills while discovering the power of their own voices.
Led by Upper School Humanities Teacher and Student Council Advisor Thu-Anh Nguyen, with support from Assistant Advisor Emily Plocharczyk and Dean of Students Ross McLay, StuCo is becoming an increasingly intentional opportunity for students to lead with purpose.
Student Voice at the Heart of Leadership
For Nguyen, the central purpose of Student Council is clear.
“Student Council gives students a voice in shaping their school community. It helps them develop leadership, teamwork, and responsibility while creating opportunities to make a positive impact on the student experience,” she explains.
That philosophy is shaping how StuCo operates. Rather than simply assigning student leaders the responsibility of organizing traditional school activities, Nguyen encourages council members to consider what their classmates want and how they can create experiences that strengthen the entire school community.
When planning events, she offers students a “blank slate,” encouraging them to develop their own ideas. A dance or movie night might be popular, but perhaps students would prefer a game night, an athletic competition, or something entirely new.
The important lesson is that student leaders must look beyond their own preferences and consider the interests of those they represent. As Nguyen puts it, “At the end of the day, it’s truly about making decisions based on what’s best for the student body.”
Students are Learning Leadership by Doing
At Renbrook, leadership development in middle school goes well beyond holding a title.
Student Council members participate in weekly meetings, organize activities, promote school spirit, plan fundraisers, and collaborate with faculty and administrators. Along the way, they develop skills that will serve them throughout their education and beyond.
Running for office begins the learning process. Candidates prepare campaign posters, write and deliver speeches, articulate their goals, and ask their peers for support. Once elected, they take on responsibilities requiring organization, communication, problem-solving, and follow-through.
Council members learn to develop meeting agendas, record minutes, manage budgets, promote events, and gather feedback. They also experience the less glamorous but equally important aspects of leadership, from arriving early to prepare for an event to staying afterward to clean up.
When a proposal involves the broader school community, students may also communicate directly with administrators, learning to present ideas thoughtfully and professionally. These authentic responsibilities reinforce an important understanding: leadership is not simply about having good ideas. It is about doing the work to bring them to life.
Creating Opportunities for Every Upper School Grade
One of the most thoughtful aspects of Renbrook’s approach is how Student Council introduces leadership opportunities progressively across the Upper School. Eighth graders serve as President and Vice President, elected in the spring of their seventh-grade year. This revised election timeline gives them the summer to begin considering their goals and priorities before the new school year begins.
Students in grades six, seven, and eight elect grade-level representatives in the fall, ensuring opportunities for new and returning students to participate.
Fifth graders have a different introduction. As the newest members of the Upper School, they may volunteer to attend Student Council meetings on a rotating basis, contributing ideas and learning from older students without the pressure of campaigning. This gradual introduction helps younger students build confidence, develop relationships across grade levels, and begin imagining themselves as future leaders. It also reinforces the sense of belonging that is so central to Renbrook’s intentional community.
Listening, Advocating, and Making a Difference
Nguyen is particularly interested in strengthening how council members gather and respond to student feedback. While representatives already connect with classmates and use surveys to collect ideas, she hopes to create more consistent opportunities for the broader student body to participate. Possibilities include revitalizing a suggestion box, expanding feedback collection, and encouraging students to vote on activities and themes.
The goal is to ensure that Student Council truly represents the voices of the students it serves. Equally important is helping students distinguish between identifying a problem and proposing a constructive solution. This requires critical thinking, empathy, openness to different perspectives, and a willingness to work toward consensus – all skills of strong student leaders.
Another area of growth is community service. Building on initiatives such as Renbrook’s participation in the Connecticut Children’s PJ Day fundraiser, Nguyen hopes to expand opportunities for students to support causes beyond campus. These experiences connect leadership with service, encouraging students to recognize their ability to contribute to something larger than themselves.
Leadership Rooted in Character
At Renbrook, student leadership also carries an expectation of character. Student Council members are role models, entrusted by their peers to represent them with integrity, kindness, and respect. They are expected to demonstrate responsibility not only during official meetings and events, but in their everyday interactions.
This approach reflects Renbrook’s commitment to Purposeful Leadership, one of the school’s four foundational pillars, and its Vision of a Graduate, which emphasizes lifelong learning, critical thinking, community building, and purposeful leadership. Whether they are presenting a speech, navigating differences of opinion, collaborating on an event, or speaking up for a classmate, students are developing the confidence and judgment to lead thoughtfully.
And those skills are not reserved for students who hold elected positions. Throughout Renbrook’s Upper School, opportunities for leadership, service, and self-advocacy encourage students to discover their strengths and take increasing ownership of their school experience.
Preparing Leaders for What Comes Next
Perhaps the greatest value of Student Council is not any single event, fundraiser, or initiative. It is the growth that takes place along the way. Students learn that their ideas matter, their contributions carry responsibility, and their voices can make a difference. They discover that effective leaders ask questions, welcome feedback, support others, and follow through on their commitments.
Through experiences like Student Council, Renbrook is helping students become not simply confident speakers or capable organizers, but thoughtful, engaged members of their communities. Because leadership is not just something students learn about at Renbrook. It is something they practice, experience, and grow into every day.
Explore Renbrook’s Upper School and discover how our approach to Purposeful Leadership helps students develop the character, confidence, and skills to thrive. Schedule a visit to experience Renbrook firsthand.
Resource: 5 Tips for Creating Effective Student Leadership Groups at Edutopia