Shoreline’s Student Life program is kicking off a new Leadership Certificate Series aimed at preparing students to be more informed and engaged individuals, leaders, and citizens. Any student who participates in three of the fall quarter 2020 workshops will earn a Leadership Certificate they can put on their resume.
The series contains five workshops built around the pillars of interpersonal skills, professionalism, humanitarianism, and service.
“These were identified as the core values that we believe all great leaders possess,” said Sundi Musnicki, Director of Student Leadership and Residential Life. “All the workshops during fall quarter, and throughout the rest of the year, will build off each other and be tied to at least one of these four pillars.”
The idea came out of a desire to create professional developmental opportunities beneficial for students at any stage of leadership understanding.
“We really want this to be an experience available for all students because having strong leadership skills is beneficial for any career that they end up in,” said Matthew Ciraulo, Graduate Intern with Student Life. “Students will benefit from having a safe space to learn and grow these skills.”
Ciraulo, who is pursuing an M.Ed. in Student Development Administration at Seattle University, helped develop the series.
“When I was in undergrad, I was involved in a leadership certificate and drew a lot of inspiration from the cohesiveness of my certificate experience,” said Ciraulo. “What I really enjoy about our series at Shoreline is that we are including various techniques to challenge students about their previous way of thinking about leadership skills.”
The workshops provide an opportunity for students to not only learn skills, but to then also immediately test them out in simulated experiences.
“I was adamant about incorporating activities into our structure that require students to utilize and incorporate the skills we are trying to help them develop,” said Ciraulo. “My favorite idea is the virtual escape room that will challenge students’ problem-solving skills.”
The workshops for fall quarter take place every other Thursday at noon on Zoom and include:
Leadership Kick-off 10/1
The kick-off provides an overview of what it means to be a student leader today. Students will begin to develop foundational skills and learn about the tools they can use during their Shoreline experience and beyond.
Civic Engagement Workshop 10/15
With support form the League of Women Voters, this non-partisan workshop will discuss the importance of staying civically engaged in community, state, and government politics.
Identity Development Workshop 10/29
Students who attend this workshop will learn about their individual and intersecting identities and how they impact their perspectives, relationships, and experiences.
Problem Solving Workshop 11/12
Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are incredibly valuable in our personal and professional lives. This event will give students an opportunity to hone those skills in a fun online format.
Community Service Workshop 12/3
In the midst of all that is happening, it is more important than ever for us to think about how we can give back to our greater community. During this workshop, students will have an opportunity to give their time and energy to a community service project that will benefit a local non-profit organization.
Learn more about the Leadership Certificate on Student Life’s Facebook page.