We are so proud of our MSEL delegates who have completed their first round of workshops, which included Self-Awareness, Leadership 2.0, Power and Influence, and Conflict Management. In Self-Awareness, delegates explored who they are as leaders, developed “I Am” poems to creatively express their identity, and participated in a self-awareness assessment to learn more about their unique strengths and challenges. In Leadership 2.0, delegates discussed what creativity means to them, learned about a project planning framework and how it connects to creativity, developed innovative solutions to problems they currently face, and examined the way in which they could embrace creativity in their daily lives. Be sure to check out your delegate’s guidebook when they return home for all kinds of great resources on SMART Goals and project planning! These are skills that your child can certainly apply to school and other activities. In Power and Influence, delegates explored various sources of power, their own spheres of influence, and situations where they may desire to have influence. In Conflict Management, delegates completed a conflict management assessment to learn about how they approach and respond to conflict. Delegates also learned strategies to proactively manage conflict and discussed people in their lives who can support them in navigating conflicts that may arise.
In addition to Round One workshops, delegates have spent time in group meetings completing get-to-know activities and team building games. A special part of MLW is the bond that each team forms and we can already see lasting friendships developing. Delegates have also started “Tuning,” where delegates meet in small groups of 5-6 with a staff member. During Tuning, delegates develop goals for the week and debrief the material they are learning. Delegates also engage in small group activities meant to extend and supplement the content being learned in workshops. This is a great time for each delegate to really focus on what they want to get out of the week and how they can further develop their leadership skills. Delegates are also making good progress in their Committees, which is when they work on a specific project such as the Newsletter or Closing Ceremony and practice their leadership skills. On Tuesday, delegates began work on the MIX Projects. Delegates work in their teams on a project designed by staff to allow delegates the opportunity to practice what they are learning in workshops. Each day, delegates and staff debrief the progress made on the MIX project and talk about ways to strengthen the group’s process moving forwards. We ended Tuesday night with a favorite: the MSEL Dance! A great time was had by all and we are excited to move into Round Two workshops tomorrow and watch our delegates continue to grow throughout the week.
