START- May 31,June 1,& 2, 2013
2013 Start Delegate Info and Forms
What is START? Students Taking Active Responsibility Today
The Sixth Annual START Conference is a three day residential conference for ninth graders held on the Nichols College campus in Dudley, Mass.
With just a $25 registration fee, a student receives all meals, lodging and materials, including a leadership handbook – there are no surprises or hidden costs. Exercises in identity building, team building, situational leadership, and goal setting are designed to help each participant meet the challenges of tomorrow.
The Conference goal is to develop a strong foundation for a new generation of young leaders. START has been created through a unique partnership. The Conference pairs the strengths of Nichols College, at the forefront of business leadership, with SLTP, the Student Leadership Training Program, at the forefront of leadership education. Nichols College is one of America’s finest business colleges and SLTP is an organization with proven experience motivating and teaching leadership skills to thousands of high school students for the last 23 years.
How does it work?
Students attending the START program are nominated and endorsed to attend the conference by their high schools. The necessary registration forms must be signed by an official school representative. Any diploma granting, accredited public or private school located in Connecticut, Massachusetts or Rhode Island may nominate a ninth grader.
START Expected Outcomes
The START Conference has been designed to draw from the expertise of Nichols College and the Student Leadership Training Program (SLTP). We intend to create an experience for your 9th grade leader which will produce the following results:
- Students learn to think positively. We motivate students by showing them that “how to think” can be just as important as “what to think.”
- Students enhance their leadership skills. By taking part in question-and-answer sessions, small group discussions, and thought-provoking exercises, the 9th graders come to better understand the true meaning of “active” leadership. Through our workshops, keynote speakers, and leadership simulation and goal setting exercises, they begin to identify and improve their own leadership strengths.
- Students learn about free enterprise. Delegates will take advantage of Nichols College resources at the forefront of business leadership (One in ten of Nichols alumni becomes a president, CEO or business owner.). Through exposure to leaders in business and education, students will get a clearer picture of what sustains our way of life and what must be done to preserve it.
- Students meet other young leaders. During The START Conference, students will discover that they are not alone in their desire to lead and to make their schools and communities better places. Meeting students who are similarly motivated from across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island is a powerful and reaffirming experience.
- Students are motivated to accept the challenge of leadership. START students will be exposed to a vision of what can be. All aspects of The START Conference are geared to encourage the students to see leadership as a life-long goal worth pursuing. They will come away from The START Conference experience having learned that as individuals, they are important and that their thoughts and actions can make a difference.
SOME COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED
- What schools are eligible?
Any diploma granting, accredited public or private school located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island may nominate a student representative. All 9th graders are eligible and should be encouraged to apply. One primary representative and one alternate representative should be selected per school.
- When do I submit my representative’s name (both primary and alternate).
The guaranteed acceptance date is December 5th , 2012. Official START Registration Forms received after this date will be considered on a space available basis.
- How do I submit the students names?
Simply fill out the enclosed Official START Registration Form identifying your primary and alternate representatives and mail or fax it to:
The START Conference Registration
108 Observatory Waye
Marshfield, MA 02050-4101
Fax: 1-781-837-1634
- What Does the Conference Cost?
Room and meals, plus all of the conference materials, are without cost to students, their parents, and their schools. The only charge is a $25 registration fee. Nichols College, The Student Leadership Training Program, and our dedicated volunteers, supporting businesses, and cooperating organizations, will raise the funds needed to put on The START Conference, except for transportation to and from the conference site and the $25 registration fee.
- When Is the Conference?
The START Conference will be held Friday, May 31, Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2nd.
- Where Is the Conference Held?
Nichols College will host the conference on its lovely New England campus located in the rolling hills of Dudley, Massachusetts.
- When should I submit the alternate’s name?
You are asked to select an alternate representative at the same time you select your primary representative and to submit both names on the Official START Registration Form (See 3 above). If your primary representative is unable to attend The START Conference, please contact us immediately, so that we may make alternative arrangements.
- What Additional Opportunities Will Become Available to the Delegates Upon Completion of the Conference?
Many opportunities become available after a delegate completes the Conference, such as:
The SLTP Alumni Association: After the Conference, attendees may join the hundreds of other students who have successfully completed our youth leadership program in an active and vibrant Alumni Association. The Alumni Association continues the work of SLTP through community activities.
Citizenship in Service: After the START Conference, each delegate will be challenged to undertake a community service project.