LEADERSHIP: Mascot decision empowers young leaders

By Jamie Horter

When the Summit and Waubay school districts decided to enter a sports co-op beginning in the fall of 2015, they had many preparations to make. What would the shared school mascot be? What colors should the new sports team have? What would become the school song?

In situations where decisions have long-term effects, it can be easy to appoint a tried-and-true community leader to the task. Summit and Waubay took a different approach: letting the youths decide.

Superintendents and board members of each district stepped back to allow the students from both schools to take ownership of the process.

“What a way to show the youth that they CAN be part of an important decision,” said Becky Hubsch, grant writer from the Summit community. She explained the process that enabled youths to move the project forward during the PIE event in December.

Each school’s student council members took charge of the project. They surveyed the student body and greater communities to gain ideas for mascots, colors, and school song. Once all information was gathered, student council members created ballots for the student body to vote.

Through this student-led, democratic process, the schools came up with a recommendation for each school board to approve. The new sports co-op will have the mascot of Mustangs, the
colors purple, silver, and black, and the song “Across the Field.”

Current adult leaders enabled youth leaders to emerge by giving project ownership to the students.

The mentorship of adults helped students strengthen their leadership skills for the future. Hubsch noted that one of the skills sharpened was public speaking, as students practiced addressing the school board with updates on the co-op project.

She said that another outcome of youth leadership was bringing the two schools closer together. “Unity will be important for these students when they participate on the same team next year, so this decision was a great way to kick off that unity,” she said.

Leadership transitions often involve risks. However, successful continuations in local leadership depend on the ability of current leaders to encourage and mentor new leaders. Successful transitions involve trust in youths and some guidance to help them succeed in their ideas.

“These students will be able to bring their children back to this community and school and show them ‘I helped create this,’” Hubsch said. “What an amazing thing to say, and to leave a footprint in your community.”

Or, as will happen in Waubay and Summit, some impressive hoofprints.