By Dr. Jared Pack
York University recently hosted nearly thirty students and nine sponsors from six National Christian School Association (NCSA) schools for the Presidential Leadership Institute, held July 12-18. The Presidential Leadership Institute at York University, now in its twelfth year, is a joint effort of York University, Strata Leadership, and the NCSA, in collaboration with the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum. Built upon the core values of faith, service, character, and leadership, the week-long institute is an intensive leadership course designed to help students work in collaboration to address real-world challenges in their lives and schools. The theme for the week was taken from a quotation from Dwight Eisenhower’s book At Ease, when he encouraged young adults to, “Learn as much as you can from those who know more than you, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you.”
The program for the Presidential Leadership Institute gave students the opportunity to learn from renowned experts in the field of leadership and the faculty of York University. This year’s speaker lineup included York University President, Dr. Tim Westbrook; CEO of Strata Leadership, Dr. Nathan Mellor; Executive Director of the Presidential Leadership Institute and Associate Professor of History, Dr. Jared Pack; CEO of NorthStar Learning, Dr. Jim Ice; CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance, Ms. Tami Heim; Executive Director of the Center for Organizational Health, Ms. Amy Mason; York University Chancellor, Dr. Steve Eckman; Former Speaker of the Nebraska Unicameral, Greg Adams; Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, the Honorable Jeffrey Funke; and York University Speech & Communication Instructor, Mr. Joe Davis.
Over the course of the week, students learned about their God-given strengths, defined their mission for life by drafting a mission statement, explored the keys to thriving as Christian Leaders, worked as a team to develop a school improvement project, enhanced their public speaking skills, and earned three hours of college credit from York University! Further enriching their experience, the group enjoyed a trip to Abilene, Kan. to tour the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and participate in the Project Solarium decision making exercise. They also traveled to Lincoln, Neb. on Thursday to tour the Nebraska State Capitol Building.
The week ended with a banquet to celebrate the week of hard work. At the banquet, four students were presented with the Howard Todd Award, a scholarship to York University ranging in value from fifty-percent tuition to full tuition that honors the life and contributions of Howard Todd, a longtime supporter of the Presidential Leadership Institute and retired K-12 administrator. The award is designed to recognize rising seniors who demonstrate the heart of a leader through their leadership abilities, interactions with others, and Christ-like spirit. This year’s recipients were Aubrey Drew (Clarksville Christian School), Madelyn Tompkins (Snook Christian Academy), Morgan Michalicek (Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis), and Harper Raines (Snook Christian Academy).
The schools represented were Alabama Christian Academy (Montgomery, Ala.), Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.), Clarksville Christian School (Clarksville, Tenn.), Foundation Christian Academy (Bowling Green, Ky.), Mount Dora Christian Academy (Mt. Dora, Fla.), and Snook Christian Academy (Foley, Ala.).