Burnside Elementary named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School

At Annie Burnside Elementary School, you’ll hear buzz words like “transformation” and “finding your voice” to describe the change in students since the school started using the Leader in Me process.

One of Principal Dr. Felicia Richardson’s favorite stories is that of a shy student who could not speak English when she arrived at Burnside.

“She has now spoken to several large audiences of teachers, students, and community members about her remarkable journey and how the strong implementation of the Leader in Me philosophy helped her to “Find Her Voice!”  Richardson said. “This process not only has had a significant impact on this student, but on all students, and we expect to see greater results over time.”

That schoolwide impact has led to Burnside being named as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by the FranklinCovey company. This honor recognizes Burnside’s outstanding results in developing student leaders and improving the school’s culture by using the Leader in Me process.

Sean Covey, president of FranklinCovey Education and author of the bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said, “We are thrilled to recognize Burnside Elementary as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. Schools who achieve the Lighthouse Milestone are great examples of a strong leadership model. This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to the Leader in Me. We are so pleased to celebrate the success they are experiencing.”

Principal Richardson added, “We have seen such amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me process at our school, such as an increase in family involvement, students becoming more confident and self-motivated, and teachers establishing strong classroom communities where students are responsible for setting personal and academic goals.”

Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model that empowers students with leadership and life skills. It is based on the premise that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader. Leadership development is integrated into existing school programs, curricula and traditions. Students learn how to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences and live a balanced life.

Since its official launch nearly six years ago, nearly 4,000 public, private, charter, and magnet schools across 50 countries have adopted the Leader in Me process. For more information, go to www.theleaderinme.org .

Media inquiries should be directed to the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7504 or 231-7510.