LCS Student Leaders Bring Home New Ideas from Ontario Student Leadership Conference

From November 8–10, Lakefield College School student leaders travelled to the Ontario Student Leadership Conference (OSLC) for three days of learning, connection, and leadership development. This year's conference, Leaderpalooza, brought together students from across the province to explore what it means to lead, build stronger school communities, and turn ideas into action.

Representing LCS were Grade 11 Leadership Representatives Kaya, Hudson, James, Vinny, Rory, and Zaza. Grade 12 students Leo and Jack also played a special role, having been selected as two of the conference's Spirit Leaders from a group of more than 250 students. Throughout the conference, they helped lead dances, introduce speakers, and bring energy to the stage.

The three-day experience featured inspiring keynote presentations, guest speakers, and a wide range of concurrent workshops. Students heard from Peter Katz, Shaun Boothe, Chelsey June, Jeff A.D. Martin, Andy Thibodeau, and Dr. Lori Hayes, each offering different perspectives on personal growth, authentic leadership, finding purpose, and creating positive change.

Through workshops and group discussions, students explored topics such as building a stronger school culture, creating memorable assemblies, effective communication, teamwork, and turning ideas into action. They also had opportunities to connect with student leaders from other schools, share experiences, and consider new approaches they could bring back to LCS.

An important part of the experience was taking time to reflect on the conference's lessons and consider how they could translate into meaningful contributions at Lakefield. Through a group discussion called Roses, Thorns, and Buds, students celebrated highlights, acknowledged challenges, and shared ideas and hopes for the year ahead.

As the conference came to a close, students were encouraged to take what they had learned, share it with others, and put their ideas into practice in their own school communities.

A big thank you to Kaya, Hudson, James, Vinny, Rory, Zaza, Leo, and Jack for representing LCS with such enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and openness throughout the conference. We look forward to seeing the ideas, perspectives, and positive energy they bring back to The Grove!