The snow days weren’t the only new things the Global Stewardship conference experienced.  For the first time ever, the GSC included a brand new, student-run program known as the British Columbia Emerging Leaders Conference (BCEL).  This conference brought in Grade 10 and 11 students from many different schools with the hopes of aspiring them to consider the many different aspects of being a leader.

As the topic of the Global Stewardship Conference this year was storytelling, Participants still engaged in a full day of regular sessions of their choice and attended the keynotes.  However, they had one full day dedicated to the leadership conference in which they attended exclusive student-run BCEL sessions.

While the BCEL looked very broad at first with just the term “Leadership”,  the interactive workshops brought new and concise ideas surrounding leadership to light.  Many of the topics discussed during the conference participants wouldn’t have even considered aspects of leadership.  Workshops included topics relating to the varieties of leadership, the creativity of being a leader, and even the role of mindfulness in a leadership position.  Students were given the opportunity to discuss and even time to create their personal definition of a good leader.

“I think that one of the best parts of this conference was how they described leadership,” said conference delegate Shiven Lohia.  “ They really broke down the term leadership into many different topics, and these ideas really changed my mind on what being a leader truly is.”

With the first ever BCEL being a success, it is likely that it will return next year as part of the Global Stewardship Conference.  Students in the BCEL enjoyed their experience and it will hopefully continue to define leadership in the years to come.