Workshops

Get fired up. Let your creative juices flow. Start a dialogue. Open your eyes to new experiences. Use your creativity to work with other leaders. Get energized. These are all phrases that past attendees have used to describe NCSL’s workshops. You will experience MORE in four days than you can imagine:

• More interaction during four days with hundreds of other student leaders.
• More opportunities to engage with leadership experts.
• More practical tips to implement right away when you arrive back on campus.
• More chances to participate in lively discussions on significant and timely leadership topics.

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Communication and Conflict Resolution: Listen, Learn, and Speak

Discover various leadership styles, communication patterns, and how communication is influenced by gender and culture. Acquire the skills necessary to communicate effectively, listen actively, and resolve conflict in peaceful and meaningful ways. Understand the different conflict management styles and how they affect conflict resolution. Through role playing, you will learn to be empathetic and understand the different perspectives individuals bring to communication and conflicts.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Discover various leadership styles and communication patterns.
2. Understand how communication is influenced by gender and culture.
3. Acquire the skills necessary to communicate effectively, listen actively, and resolve conflict in peaceful and meaningful ways.

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Do The Ethical Thing! Finding Your Balance In Ethical Decision Making as a Leader

Right or Wrong? Good or Bad? Ethical or Unethical? Do you have the skills and abilities to make balanced, sound ethical decisions for your organization? How do you know if you are ever truly doing “the right thing”? This interactive session will introduce you to Kitchener’s Five Ethical Principles model and challenge you to find your balance as a leader in various ethical situations. Forced choice scenarios and video vignettes will be used to challenge you to take a stand and learn how to put ethical decision making theory into practice!

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Comprehend Kitchener’s Five Ethical Principles model and it’s application to decision making in leadership.
2. Actively examine the role and impact of their personal values and ethics when challenged to make ethical decisions as leaders.
3. Understand strategies and best practices that contribute to making balanced and sound ethical decisions.

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From The Classroom to The Board Room: Five Keys to Successful Leadership That Are Not Taught In College

Higher education leadership curriculums focus primarily on teaching the traditionally accepted skills necessary to become effective leaders. This session will focus on five factors not traditionally identified in leadership theory that not only create effective leaders but also sustain them for the duration of their careers. The focus of this workshop will be the “outside the box practices” of successful leaders in American society. This workshop will include audience participation through discussion, demonstration and role playing.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Identify areas of personal leadership strength and areas for personal leadership enhancement.
2. Define and apply strategies for enhancing personal wellbeing and increasing/enhancing individual capacity to be an effective leader.
3. Acquire the tools to develop an effective and powerful leadership philosophy that benefits both leader and constituency.
4. Learn what psychological factors make an effective leader based on the profiles of successful leaders in American society.
5. Develop an understanding of and appreciation for the human nature traps of leadership that lead to ultimate failure as a leader.

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How to Win The Battle With Procrastination

College students revealed in a survey that “procrastination” is their biggest challenge relative to their academic success. However, I have found that while students feel that procrastination is their biggest challenge, it isn’t actually. Students are not procrastinating; they are simply following and giving into human nature. This session will reveal why and how procrastination is not the beast students make it out to be. It will also reveal what is the real problem and how to beat it. This session will include discussion, games, and demonstration.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Identify areas of personal strength and areas for personal enhancement and development.
2. Define and apply strategies for enhancing personal wellbeing and increasing/enhancing individual capacity to be an effective leader.
3. Develop an understanding of human nature, achievement and performance.
4. Acquire the knowledge to complete projects, get good grades and graduate from college on time.
5. Learn how to acquire the motivation to get things done in oneself and in others leading to effective leadership.

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Improving Your Serve

This workshop will discuss the five basic assumptions of working with students and the "13 Things I Wish I Had Known" when I began my career in Student Affairs. Student demographics will be discussed and a new philosophy of caring for students in the 21st century will be revealed.

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Inclusive Leadership

This interactive session will serve as an introduction to understanding diversity and its connection to us as leaders. We will start by discussing the characteristics of an ideal inclusive environment and then learn the 5 skills of inclusive leadership that will help us to get there. These skills are a toolkit for you to apply to your communities back on campus and to your future professional life that will benefit you for years to come. If you are a leader who wants to get the most out of campus community by building truly inclusive communities, then this highly engaging workshop is for you. Come prepared to move around and engage in dialogue with each other as we learn new skills together.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Understand diversity through a leadership perspective.
2. Acquire the 5 skills of inclusive leadership which will serve as a toolkit to building inclusive communities on campus.
3. Develop an action plan to implement change on their campus.

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Intentional and Inclusive Community Building: From Awareness to Collaboration

Examine, experience, and engage in the dynamics of difference to develop an understanding of the concepts of privilege and discrimination. Through interaction with difference on both a theoretical and practical level, you will develop a heightened awareness of yourself and your position in an increasingly diverse and interdependent society. Examining our ethical and moral responsibility will aid us in shaping organizations and communities where all people feel valued and included.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Examine and engage in the dynamics of difference to develop an understanding of the concepts of privilege and discrimination.
2. Understand the foundations of diverse learning communities and how to activate this within your organization.
3. Develop a heightened awareness of yourself and your position in an increasingly diverse and interdependent society.

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Jumpstart Your College Finances

Two out of three people have a mistake on their credit report that is not their fault. Do you know how to fix yours? Would you like to know how to prevent hidden bank fees from being charged on your debit card? Would you like to learn the one investment that will put $100 of free money in your pocket for the rest of your life? It's time to get your finances in order with a licensed financial advisor. Learn how to clean up your finances and start putting more money in your pocket today!

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Understand the basic concept of compounding and how it relates to a financial plan.
2. Know the basics of credit reports including how and where they are compiled and how to obtain yours.
3. Identify the five most common ways to increase your credit score.
4. Understand the fundamental flaws in compiling “traditional” budgets and learn tactics to overcome these flaws.

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Negotiation for Leaders

Ironically, the one skill leaders need most is the skill they are never taught! That skill is the art of negotiation. Leaders are always forming new relationships, resolving conflicts, and introducing alternative points of view, three key points in this rare and engaging workshop. Students will learn both basic and advanced negotiation techniques they can use as both student and professional leaders. Plus this workshop will involve a real live negotiation using real money! Whatever you negotiate, you get to keep!

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Understand and identify the pros and cons of both win-win and adversary negotiation.
2. Learn the four cornerstone questions to ask in any negotiation.
3. Learn ten everyday negotiation techniques.
4. Participate in a live negotiation using real money.

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Organizational Management: Effective Meetings and Productive Action

Learn strategies for managing your organization’s members, activities, and meetings. Acquire the skills necessary to implement and maintain Robert's Rules of Order as a tool of efficiency in organizational meetings. Understand how your organization can benefit from member mentoring and task delegation. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as how to focus the organization’s energy for greater success.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Implement and maintain Robert's Rules of Order as a tool of efficiency in meetings.
2. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as how to focus the organization’s energy for greater success.
3. Understand how your organization can benefit from member mentoring and task delegation.

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Publicity and Promotion: Shared Vision and Best Practices

In this session, you will learn the principles that make publicity and promotion campaigns effective, understand the differences between publicity and promotions, and take away innovative ideas that college and university organizations use nationwide. This session will give you increased confidence in publicizing events and promoting your organizations on campus. Learning these skills will give your group the edge in capturing the mindshare of your target audiences.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of innovative ideas that college and university organizations use nationwide.
2. Express awareness of the principles that make publicity and promotion campaigns effective.
3. Understand the differences between publicity and promotions and how they can be used to capture a greater mindshare of your target audience.

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Strategic Planning for Student Organizations

It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of life; but in order to make a real impact on your campus, your organization needs to focus on “big picture” planning. Join in an interactive dialogue about strategic planning that will draw upon your organization’s mission and purpose as well as empower you to lead your organization rather than just manage it! Participants will be challenged to think critically about the strengths and challenges of their organization as well learn how to strategically operate within the current environment on their campus to lead their organization to success.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Utilize the mission and purpose of their organization to design a strategic plan.
2. Design measurable and attainable goals for their organization.
3. Articulate the importance of designing a strategic plan for their organization.

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Taking a Risk to Eradicate Campus Racial and Cultural Divides

If you aren’t taking some risk, you really aren’t a leader. For centuries, non-majority folks have been attending college campuses, yet today many campuses are as segregated as they were before the civil rights movement-why is this? This presentation will challenge your efforts and provide you with strategies to begin the process of eradicating the racial and cultural divides on your campus. Come prepared to discuss a real campus problem that real campus student leaders have interest in solving.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Understand methods that can be used to change their campus cultural climate.
2. Examine the racial and cultural divides present on today’s college and university campuses.

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Teachable Moments: Innovative Processing Tools and Techniques

Reflection brings learning to life. It helps learners make connections between educational experiences and real life situations and creates the path to future learning. Educators and group facilitators recognize the value of reflection and processing, but often find this one of the more challenging aspects of group facilitation and teaching. This interactive workshop offers a variety of innovative reflection approaches that engage group members in an active and meaningful way. Liven up the traditional sharing circle with new twists on ways to engage groups in dialogue and reflection. Leave with new processing tools, activities and ideas to add to your bag of tricks.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Articulate a variety of practical reflective tools and techniques they will be able to use with their students and groups.
2. Understand insights into the idea of experiential education and participant-centered reflection.
3. Utilize inspiration and ideas to strengthen their practice of group facilitation and teaching.
4. Develop strategies for helping group members engage in meaningful dialogue.

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The Advisor as a Teacher

Learning is a dynamic process that is not confined to traditional classroom approach. It is also applicable to the more informal situations characteristic of student organization life. Join in a thought provoking dialogue that will challenge participants to consider the context in which we advise, the influence that context has on the lessons we need to teach the students we advise, and the strategies for creating an intentional plan of action that allows us to rise to the responsibility of being actively engaged in student learning.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Identify advising and development needs of their student organizations and be able to design a lesson plan for meeting those needs.
2. Evaluate if they have met their goals as advisors for a student organization.
3. Articulate the importance of developing a lesson plan for advising a student organization.

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The Gender Box

We live in a very strict gender-prescribed world where we are expected to fit into a gender box, but for many of us this is limiting. In this engaging workshop, we will start with a dialogue about what it means to fit into these prescribed boxes, followed by examining what happens when you fall out of them. This workshop will enable us as leaders to become more aware of our language and perspectives about gender which will help us create a more inclusive community back on campus. Come prepared to offer your ideas to this discussion as this workshop relies on your input.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Articulate an understanding about gender, and the stereotypes surrounding gender, through dialogue.
2. Identify dangers facing those who do not fit into the gender stereotypes present in our society.
3. Develop an action plan of ways they can make change on their campus.

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The Love Challenge: Balancing College Girlfriends and Boyfriends

Are you cheating on your academic studies with your girlfriend or boyfriend? Who are you spending most of your evenings and weekends with? Are you properly balancing your academic life with your personal and social life? Did you know the kind of person you date while in college plays a huge role in your academic success or failure? In this engaging and thought-provoking session, Jermaine will share principles on how to achieve academic and dating success while completing your college degree. Get ready to laugh and be challenged!

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Create a personal dating philosophy while in college.
2. Manage the stress and challenges of college dating.
3. Clarify academic vision and goals.
4. Identify the “adders” and “multipliers” in your life.
5. Identify the “subtracters” and “dividers” in your life.
6. Say “no” without feeling guilty.

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Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation

Fill your group facilitation toolbox with creative yet practical activities and ideas to enhance learning, group experience and reflection. Explore techniques for creating a positive learning environment, increasing participant involvement and facilitating meaningful processing and group dialogue. In this co-creative, engaging workshop, participants will develop innovative ways to support the process of group development. Participants will gain new perspectives on their role as a facilitator and gather activities and ideas they can use to liven up their organization. Whether you are new to facilitation or a seasoned veteran seeking inspiration, there is something in this workshop for you.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Articulate a variety of practical activities they can use right away with their groups.
2. Identify practical strategies for creating and maintaining a positive group environment throughout a program.
3. Articulate insights into their role as a group facilitator- including the idea of becoming more participant-centered as a facilitator.
4. Develop techniques for creating more ownership and involvement on the part of the participant.
5. Utilize tools for assessing groups and dealing with challenging group situations.

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Whatever It Takes To Save A Child: Child Survival Leadership Options for Campus Leaders

Every day, 26,000 children who do not have to die – do. Never before in the history of humankind have we been so close to the possibility of a day when no more children have to die from preventable causes. This interactive session is designed to build on the inspiration from the keynote from Caryl Stern, president of the US Fund for UNICEF by providing you with an opportunity to hear the call for action and to provide participants with the tools to join the US Fund in doing whatever it takes to save a child.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Understand the critical issues impacting child survival.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the various programs of UNICEF that could be adopted by student leaders to create awareness, instill knowledge, impart skills and take action for child survival through on-campus programming and education.
3. Identify challenges that student leaders will face in implementing new programs and the support available to assist them with their efforts.
4. Join a network of national student leaders who will dedicate their efforts to collaboratively creating, implementing and/or supporting the local and national programs of UNICEF.