One of the founding principles of its Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program that Brain Power Wellness reviews is to pull the greatness out of every person they work with, most especially student leaders. Everyone has leadership potential, but when we invite young people to explore what that actually means and in what ways their leadership qualities can be utilized, students who may not previously have thought of themselves as leaders often come forward requesting to participate in the Brain Power Wellness program.
For schools partnering with Brain Power Wellness (BPW) with the intention of shifting their school culture, one of the most influential steps they can take is to train a cohort of students as BPW ambassadors through the Student Leadership Program. The program is often introduced in the second year of partnership after teachers and students have utilized and incorporated BPW activities and practices in their classrooms during the initial year.
In this article, Brain Power Wellness reviews some of the awakenings that participants in the Student Leadership Program have experienced during their exploration of the meaning of leadership in the context of their school culture and beyond. Here are some inspiring quotes.
Jordyn Peters, 5th grade Student Leader from Martin Luther King Elementary in Washington, D.C., says: “My intention today will be not to be scared to speak in front of the class with people watching, and not be so sensitive if I do something wrong.”
Another student leader from X357 in the Bronx, N.Y., shares: “Brain Power Wellness supports us to be great leaders and to learn things that we cannot learn in school–about empathy and kindness and how to talk to each other.”
Rebecca Wheaton, BPW Field Coordinator for Maryland, reflects on her initial inspiration with student leadership during her five years with at-risk youth at a residential facility in Nicaragua. “I started out by exposing 12-18-year-old youths to self-care through yoga, mindfulness meditation, and relaxation techniques. After a few sessions, the students wanted to know if they could teach each other the way I was teaching them. I explained that they would first need to train and understand what is involved in leading others. As a result of their request, I created a leadership training program that taught them self-care techniques and explored existential questions about the human condition along the way. Their ability to grasp the importance of their inner potential was one of the most profound experiences I’ve had in witnessing emerging greatness from young people. This ushered me into my next job as a Brain Power Wellness trainer.”
The present-day Student Leadership Program is designed to inspire participants to lead each other into more positive feeling, thinking, and doing by utilizing a variety of exercises and team-building dynamics coupled with reflection and discussion. The program is co-led by Brain Power Wellness instructors, Field Coordinators, and Teacher Leaders who all come together four times during the year to unpack the building blocks necessary for becoming a leader. At these two-hour gatherings, students create goals and share awakenings about how to make choices that support their personal and school-wide culture.
“Brain Power Wellness is good and supportive by developing a natural self-respect and delivering heart-warming content,” remarked one High School Student Leader from the Oneida Nation in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “I know for sure BPW has made a lot of progress for me and for others to be better focused and feel natural respect. Without it, my emotions would be a lot harder to deal with.”
Greek and Latin origins of the word “to educate” point to meanings such as, “to guide, point out, reveal, and draw out.” Brain Power Wellness is deeply honored to partner with schools to enhance students’ and teachers’ journeys as their innate greatness is revealed, pulled out, and spotlighted.
About Brain Power Wellness
Brain Power Wellness (BPW) is a holistic organization committed to creating vibrant and nurturing educational environments in schools. The primary goal of Brain Power Wellness is to transform the culture of educational institutions by promoting personal growth, mindfulness, community unity, immersive retreat experiences, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), comprehensive wellness practices, and cognitive enhancement techniques tailored for educators, students, families, and school leaders. Impressively, BPW’s influence has expanded to corporate sectors, where teams now benefit from life-changing retreats that provide participants with essential strategies to foster healthy, sustainable, and positive work environments.
