Building Leadership Skills in the Middle School

In Penn Charter's Middle School, faculty and staff help students build leadership skills in a number of ways. Middle School assemblies, held each week, are one growth opportunity for students. Each eighth grader prepares a short presentation connected to the school’s annual theme, giving students a chance to explore meaningful ideas and highlight inspiring individuals. Half of the class delivers their presentations live during the weekly Middle School assembly, while the others are recorded and shared during Thursday morning homeroom. At the start of the year, I meet with the grade to introduce the theme, review public speaking guidelines, and encourage students to speak clearly, use meaningful anecdotes, and—most importantly—start early so they feel confident and prepared.

For this year’s theme of integrity and justice, one student chose swim coach Jim Ellis, who challenged racial barriers in a predominantly white sport by building a successful, primarily Black swim team and leading them to Nationals. For more than 50 years, Ellis has helped youth learn to swim and earn scholarships. His work shows how one person can create fairness and opportunity for others. Another student spoke about Ala Stanford, a Philadelphia pediatric surgeon and public health leader who founded the Black Doctors Covid Consortium to bring free testing and vaccines to underserved communities during the pandemic. Her leadership demonstrates that justice means using one’s skills to help others and ensure fairness, especially for those with fewer resources. Both stories show that integrity and courage can create meaningful change in a community.

Our assemblies are an important time to come together to share information, announce upcoming events and milestones, and set expectations for community life. Leading these enables eighth graders to step into leadership roles, feel inspired and inspire others, while also practicing public speaking skills.

-Kerry Howard, Assistant Director of Middle School