Youth Leadership Guidebook

DAs a leadership team mentor, your job is to layer your support of the student leaders to maximize their effectiveness and facilitate the smooth functioning of the ECO2school program. You determine the forum and time that works best for you. Lunchtime or after school club meetings provide a common opportunity to work with students. The program can be integrated into a course. In which case ECO2school program staff can supplement that course’s content during instructional time, with education modules tied to current ELA, and Common Core content standards. This guidebook provides support for whichever forum you choose.

This guidebook contains five modules that assist mentors to more effectively support student leaders as they implement the ECO2school program.

In addition, mentors can refer to the ECO2school Manual, which is available here. The manual has templates and forms that can be used in community outreach, teacher communication, activity implementation and information gathering. This guidebook will help mentors and students utilize the manual more effectively.

Throughout the project, the student leaders are called upon to perform tasks with which they have had little or no experience. It is important that the student leaders have buy-in and are comfortable working with you as mentor, and with each other. This guidebook will give you the “how-to” techniques to train student leaders in communication and community building strategies.

Download the Mentor Guidebook (pdf)

Module 1: Team Building

"Team Building" introduces students to the project and provides resources to develop the team’s collaborative and supportive group structure. General information about school meetings is included here.

Download Module 1 (pdf)
Download Top 10 Icebreakers (pdf)

Module 2: Facilitation

This module shows students how to lead meetings and support their peers as they begin to work with larger groups of students.

Download Module 2 (pdf)
Download Handout (pdf)

Module 3: Vision

This module teaches students how to plan their campaign by developing specific goals, tasks, and timelines.

Download Module 3 (pdf)
SMART Goals Handout (pdf)

Module 4: Messaging

This module teaches students how to communicate the goals and activities of the program effectively in displays and social media.

Download Module 4 (pdf)
Messaging Handout (pdf)

Module 5: Public Speaking

This module guides students through the steps to improve their presentations to classes, teachers and other public groups.

Download Module 5 (pdf)
Public Speaking Handout (pdf)

Reflection and Celebration

This section describes the importance of acknowledging the tremendous effort that you and your students have given.

It is best if the modules are used sequentially. However, the modules can be referenced out of sequence, and repeated, as needed. The timeline for the modules will be based on the duration of your ECO2school campaign. Modules should be presented at least a week apart, but the calendaring of presentations depends on the events you plan with the students, the extent of these events, all school activities such as club day or spirit week and academic schedules, such as AP tests.

For additional guidance as well as toolkits and templates refer to the ECO2school manual.