Recently two rural schools linked through communication technology as a way to support the primary school leadership programs that were operating within their schools as well as a strategy to enhance the development of leadership skills across the two primary schools.

The students leadership teams of Korumburra and St Arnaud Primary Schools recently linked for the first time through Polycom to share their experiences as student leaders within their school communities and to also explore how they could better support each other in their leadership roles within their schools.

The link up provided a great opportunity for these young people get to know each other, compare notes on the community in which they live, and the role that they undertake in their school community. Within their discussions they covered a range of topics including selection of student leaders; sharing activities and discussions they were involved in; what is expected of student leaders within primary schools; and how they could better be involved in their schools to improve the learning and experiences for students.

A highlight of the first link up was a presentation on leadership skills by the Mayor of Northern Grampians Shire. The Mayor explored a range of key elements that contribute to a successful leader and shared with the two leadership teams the skills, behavior and positive outcomes that you gain as a result of being a leader within an organization. The student leaders quizzed the Mayor on their role and the types of activities they were involved in.

The link up, while only the first time the two schools had facilitated this, was a huge success and there are already plans to support an ongoing link up across the two school student leadership teams. Already there are plans for a link up to introduce the new student leaders within each school when they are elected towards the end of this year.