160 Grade 13 students received certificates of successful completion for the SAHS 12-month Leadership Development Programme (LDP) from “old girl’ and NCB career banker Sharon Diana Williams in a 10th Anniversary celebration ceremony of this innovative programme in the School Hall recently.
Proclaiming “SAHS an awesome school” the guest speaker Sharon Williams credited SAHS for providing excellent training to produce effective leaders. The LDP runs for 6 months each academic year (Sept – March) commencing in Grade 12 and ending in March of the Grade 13 year. Students also have to complete 20 hours of external community service before the end. The programme is co-ordinated by “old girl” Marie Hector-Clarke and is celebrating its 10th year of existence (2004-2014).
The brainchild of Principal Sharon Reid, the LDP exposes 6th form students to the “real world” through talks, workshops, discussions etc on a variety of important topics to help the students transition more effectively to the world of work, college and university. LDP provides unique opportunities for the girls to interface with career experts, many of whom are “old girls”, in the fields of Financial Planning, Science in Manufacturing, Job Interviews, Social Graces, Robotics, Healthy Lifestyles, Physiotherapy, Jamaica’s Heritage, Caribbean Music, Architecture, Human Rights, Public Health Medicine, Effective Public Speaking, The Environment, Violence Prevention etc. and to explore Leadership, Integrity and Personal Empowerment.
At the end of the Programme, each student is required to present a written report on their twenty (20) hours of community service before qualifying to receive a “Certificate of Participation” as proof of their attendance in the two year programme.
Topics covered 2012-2014 included: Healthy Lifestyles; Preparing for the Job Interview; Integrity at Play; Leadership Traits & Skills; Breast Cancer Awareness; A Career in the Media; Sexual Harassment and Abuse; STD’s & HIV/AIDS Awareness; Protocol & Social Graces; The Geology of Jamaica; A Career in Architecture; Public Health Medicine; Clinical Psychology; Translation & Interpretation; Human Trafficking; The Importance of Curators; How to be a Successful Entrepreneur; Food Technology; The Role of Auditor General; The Evolution of Caribbean Music; Women in Decision-Making at the Board Level; Self-Defence Techniques; Tips to Studying in the USA; Coping with Challenges; Special Education; A Career in Cosmetology; Personal Empowerment; Robotics.