– Scott Washburn, Assistant Director, StepUP Program
Student leadership is key for the healthy functioning of any collegiate recovery or recovery high school program. Harry S. Truman once said, “In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” Investing in building and developing leaders is an indispensable strategy for the growth and stability of a recovery school community. We are thrilled to announce the posting of our “Leadership Guidebook for Recovery School Communities” in our newest section of the StepUP webpage on Student Leadership.
This guidebook is the culmination of a project made possible by a generous three-year grant from the C. Charles Jackson Foundation. This project has consisted of StepUP students mentoring recovery high school students in leadership development. Our hope is that staff and students from both collegiate recovery programs and recovery high schools will use this guidebook and its discussion guides to help them build strong student leadership in their respective school communities. Feel free to let us know about your own progress with leadership development efforts and any feedback or suggestions you may have from using this guidebook. We wish you all the best as you do your best to provide healthy recovery communities to enable your students to thrive both in their recovery and academic pursuits.