It’s important for educators to teach young people that leadership is not a hierarchical process, and shift them toward developing the skills and capacity to become facilitators and coaches. That means “helping to amplify other voices, and not just their own,” says Kate Hebdon, deputy head of school at Trafalgar Castle School for girls in Whitby, Ont.MILESH PATEL IMAGE COURTESY OF TRAFALGAR CASTLE SCHOOL
Private schools are in a unique position to teach leadership skills: They provide an environment where high-achieving and motivated young people already have come together to learn and succeed.
That environment is a draw for many parents who are seeking the best education experience for their child. Private schools typically have lower student-to-teacher ratios, allowing for more individual attention and one-on-one mentorship. They have the resources to bring in industry guest speakers, and offer mentorship programs and travel as part of the curriculum, so students can experience professional environments outside of the classroom.
Character development is a crucial focus at these schools, and robust extracurricular programs such as debate clubs, student councils and specialized programs such as Model United Nations put young people in positions to manage projects and hone interpersonal skills. Public speaking, conflict resolution and critical thinking are all carefully developed and nurtured.
The ability to lead is an essential part of character development and private schools focus on giving each student the opportunity to develop a leadership mindset and put leadership skills into practice.
Leadership is not one trait. Rather, as David Lee, vice-principal at Toronto’s St. Michael’s College School for boys, breaks it down, fostering leadership traits in students involves building myriad individual traits relating to character and interpersonal skills, such as integrity, self-awareness and emotional intelligence, and humility. Other traits involve more global competencies, such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication. And a third category centres on leadership mindset traits, such as adaptability, resilience and having a growth mindset.
One of the largest programs at St. Michael’s College School is its Outdoor and Experiential Education program, in which students in Grade 7, Grade 8 and Grade 9 attend overnight camps facilitated by older students who are trained at the school’s intensive, three-day Leadership Camp in May.
“The pace of change in our world requires leaders who are resilient, thoughtful and empathetic,” says Andrew Keleher, head of school at Neuchâtel Junior College, a private Canadian school situated in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
“Students who can navigate uncertainty, take responsibility and work effectively with others are better equipped for both professional and personal success.
“Living and travelling abroad exposes students to a new culture, community and develops open-mindedness. Experiencing life and travel abroad enriches students by fostering open-mindedness and connecting them with diverse people of different backgrounds and diverse perspectives.”
Leadership is woven into every part of the Neuchâtel experience, Keleher says, from classroom projects to experiential learning through travel and community service. Students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone, solve problems and lead by example.
Those are priorities echoed by Nicole Bryant, director of university guidance at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School, an all-girls school in Oakville, Ont. “In an era defined by rapid technological change, global uncertainty and social transformation, leadership skills are no longer optional – they’re essential,” she says. “For young women in particular, the ability to think critically, act with confidence and lead with empathy has never been more important.”
St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School has partnered with Lean in Girls, a program offered by the global organization Lean In, to deliver a curriculum empowering girls to trust their own voice and know that, no matter their age, they can lead.
“We like to say that before you can lead a community, you need to belong to one – and that sense of belonging starts the moment a student walks through our doors,” Bryant says.
Community – of support, learners and leaders – is at the heart of Rothesay Netherwood School’s approach. RNS’s Leadership Development Strategy ensures that every student, across all grade levels, encounters structured and meaningful opportunities to grow as a leader and cultivate school values of character, courage, creativity and community.
Paul McLellan, head of school at the co-ed day and boarding school in Rothesay, N.B., says more than half of RNS students are formally involved in student government. The school offers a multitude of opportunities throughout the year, including ambassadorships, prefectships, stewardships, or participation in various councils, committees, conferences, co-curriculars and societies.
Leadership is taught early at The Mabin School, a private elementary school in Toronto. Students are encouraged to be change makers and leaders, right from junior kindergarten, says Michelle Barchuk, director of admissions and communications.
“Leadership is taught by doing at The Mabin School,” she says. “Students are encouraged to work together to solve problems and think creatively about solutions.”
Mabin’s Little Food Pantry is an example of leadership in action. The graduating Class of 2025 (then in Grade 3) noticed signs of homelessness in a nearby public park, which led to conversations and consultations with local experts about food insecurity.
As part of their learning, students found out about food pantries and decided to build one at the school. Now, every week, a different class takes on the responsibility of filling the pantry with non-perishable food items for those in need in the neighbourhood.
“We do intentional work to admit students from diverse racial, religious, socioeconomic and neurodiverse backgrounds,” Barchuk says. “Ensuring students are learning from and with peers who bring different viewpoints, learning styles and opinions allows us to foster skills that will allow our children to interact in a positive way, even when they disagree.”
According to Kate Hebdon, deputy head of school at Trafalgar Castle School for girls in Whitby, Ont., it’s about reducing the idea that leadership is a hierarchical process and shifting students to develop the skills and capacity to become facilitators and coaches.
That means “helping to amplify other voices, and not just their own,” she says. “Oftentimes kids want to jump straight ahead into being the head of something or being in charge of something. We have a very deliberate leadership continuum from earlier than Grade 9.
“In particular, in Grade 9, we partner with a compulsory course where we build leadership within that course explicitly, while allowing it to amplify through all of the courses, and then making use of our clubs and athletics program for them to be in charge and be leaders.”
The approach is similar at The York School in Toronto, says Erin Porter, director of student life and belonging. There, the leadership model is a progressive one in which students are provided with opportunities for connection within the community from Grade 6 to Grade 12. There’s leadership education inherent in the broader community experience, as well as student leadership committees in which students can apply to take on a role, seeing leadership as a service to the community.
“Student leaders have a buffet of items that they can apply to when they’re in their middle school years – Grades 6, 7, and 8 – that are often led by our senior students in Grades 10, 11 and 12, giving those senior students that opportunity for mentorship, while giving those junior and middle school students an opportunity to learn,” she says.
ARAS IMAGING PHOTO COURTESY OF WALDEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
“It’s about providing opportunities for those leaders to have a voice and choice within our school to drive programming and for them to see that their voice matters and that their influence matters in terms of the culture of our school community,” she adds. “That is really critical.”
It’s important to realize there are different models of leadership, and that not everyone will be a front-of-the-room leader, Porter says. It’s critical to allow leadership skills to develop naturally, so students can lead from where they are at and see that whatever their contribution is has impact and helps move the organization or committee forward. Through such experiences, they learn the critical life skill of resilience – learning that not every idea will be taken up or every event will run smoothly and learning how to bounce back from disappointment.
“There’s a certain level of accountability that comes with all of this,” Porter says. “Because when you put yourself out there and say I want to lead … you know people are going to see that and they’re going to hold you accountable for that. And I think that that’s another really critical thing for students, especially going into their university years, when they are living independently.”
A unique leadership opportunity is offered at Kingsway College School (KCS), a co-ed school with campuses in Toronto and Etobicoke, Ont. KCS By Design is for all students of the school, says Rick Kunc, acting head of Senior School.
“KCS by Design is another opportunity for students to have authentic leadership opportunities. This program empowers them to help shape the Senior School,” Kunc says.
“Students will join a weekly leadership committee focused on a specific area of interest, where, with the guidance of a faculty member, they will use a design thinking process to create positive change within the school or the community.”
The Path program at Kingsway is a student-driven initiative designed to support each student’s unique interests and learning journey from Grade 9 to Grade 11. Guided by a dedicated faculty advisor and an external Path mentor, students build an e-portfolio that captures their learning in a chosen area of interest, incorporating academic, artistic, athletic and citizenship perspectives. Built in are leadership opportunities for each student to engage the community in their learning.
Taking a progressive journey in leadership education is a focus at Appleby College, a co-ed school in Oakville, Ont. In Grade 7, students are given modest responsibilities, such as speaking in public and standing up in assemblies, and then progressing into more positional leadership in Grade 9 and Grade 10, and more again in Grade 11 and Grade 12. There are about 120 different roles in all, varying in terms of age and stage, level of responsibility and degree of time investment.
Dr. Claire Kelly, assistant head of school, student life, says they remind students there’s important balance to learn when it comes to leadership: Have humility but also know to seize the moment when an opportunity arises.
“Students can choose where they want to land, with a lot of support,” she says.
SDI (Strength Deployment Inventory) assessment is a tool that Appleby faculty use to help students know their strengths, behaviours and motivations, and learn how they can manage themselves more effectively, Kelly says.
“We use that to help develop our teams, where we can share that understanding with other students and help the team grow as a group,” she adds. “That’s one of our key tools.”
It’s important for children to be an active part in their leadership journey, which at TFS – Canada’s International School (formerly Toronto French School), begins early. That might include helping a teacher or speaking in an assembly. Kids in Grade 2 can be deputies, where they represent the class and, with teacher mentors, try to make improvements, says Aurélie Lossouarn, executive director of citizenship and global education. TFS also offers a long list of clubs, as well as student councils centred on athletic, environmental, academic, outreach and other pursuits.
At Upper Canada College, students throughout the Prep and Upper schools learn important leadership skills through direct education and experiences. Students at this school for boys in Toronto engage in opportunities to practise their leadership and receive feedback through curricular and co-curricular experiences such as International Baccalaureate (IB) projects and innumerable clubs and service opportunities.
“Young people are deeply motivated to solve the challenges of their generation and are eager for the tools and agency to take these on,” says Fiona Marshall, director of the school’s new Lang Leadership Lab, a new leadership hub made possible by a donation from a UCC alumnus.
“Equipping our youth with the confidence, mindsets and collaboration skills to transform their worlds is part of our core mission and, at a time of immense upheaval, there is nothing more important than equipping students to lead positive change from a place of purpose and passion in service of humanity.”
Travel is an ideal trainer in leadership, helping students prepare to visit new places and find their place in a wider world. For example, a Grade 5 class of 18 TFS students, went to France in March to tour World War I and World War II battle sites, including Juno Beach. The students then presented what they learned to the Canadian ambassador and 50 other adults in Paris.
“It’s amazing to watch them grow,” Lossouarn says. “Leadership is an attitude, not a position. That’s what we try to instill in students. For us, everyone is a leader.”
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