| Member's News | No.43 January 2005 |
AAHPERD Student Leadership Camp Mary Ann Simpson, USA |
AAHPERD’s National Student Leadership Conference 2004 I gained more communication skills. It was a journey of self-discovery, I had to discover the leader within myself by being exposed to other leaders and professionals. Ninety nine students representing 39 states and Canada gathered on the weekend of October 14 – 17 at Camp ASCCA in Alabama for AAHPERD’s fifth annual Student Leadership Conference. Each state, district and national association were able to select two student leaders to participate in this conference that included sessions and presentations to prepare participants for leadership opportunities in physical education, health education and promotion, fitness, sports, dance, and recreation. The planning committee consisting of Missy Parker, Shirley Holt-Hale, Leroy Fanning, Glenn Roswal and Judy Young put together a very ambitious program with 23 AAHPERD leaders participating as presenters and mentors to the future professionals in attendance. The opportunity to interact with AAHPERD leaders and students from around the country was one of the most important and valued aspects of the weekend. The students appreciated hearing different viewpoints from their peers from across the country and learned about the importance of networking among professionals and maintaining contact with colleagues and faculty mentors. Some students from District and National associations also participated in the CAHPERD Student Leadership Conference in Ontario and were glad to renew connections with the students from Canada who came to Alabama. Each of the students left the conference with renewed self-confidence. One of the highly rated activities was the ropes course which was one of the many ways the students learned about and practiced “team work.” One of the students remarked that the “Ropes course was most valuable because it taught teamwork and how to work in a group.” The program also included sessions on developing negotiating skills and advocacy. The students left the conference with renewed enthusiasm for their chosen professions and better prepared to return to their universities to share and serve as leaders in their departments. Many students plan to attend the AAHPERD Convention in Chicago and several will plan and deliver a program session there. Next year’s Student Leadership Conference will be held on October 20 – 23 at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in West Virginia. Mary Ann Simpson Project Coordinator Office of VP Programs Ph: +1 703-476-3422 Email: msimpson@aahperd.org http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2005.htm AAHPERD Student Leadership Camp Mary Ann Simpson, USA