Connection is Key to Student Engagement!
In this collaborative blog series, TEAMBOOST asked leaders in the youth development field how they build student connection in their program environments. Healthy and authentic relationships are important to positive youth outcomes, and TEAMBOOST is proud to spotlight the expertise of our BOOST Leadership Team Members, BOOST Ambassadors, and BOOST Partners in the Student Connection blog series!
Welcome, Melissa Erickson (she/hers), to center stage! Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your experience with current and future generations of youth development professionals. We appreciate you!
A Conversation about Student Connection and Cultivating Strong Relationships with our BOOST Partner, Melissa Erickson (she/hers)
Melissa is the Executive Director of Alliance for Public Schools in Lithia, FL.
How do you ensure all staff/students are valued and represented in your programs?
We work in the 7th largest school district in the nation, focusing on student leadership initiatives designed to improve climate and culture and raise high school graduation rates. With 28 high schools, some as large as 3,400 students, ensuring our groups are representative of the student population is always a challenge. To address this we work with educators and school leaders to ensure our leadership groups “look like their school” in as many ways as possible.
As far as making our student leaders feel valued we use multiple strategies including:
– Creating Open Forums for Discussion: We establish regular meetings where student leaders can openly discuss the issues they face. These forums are safe spaces where their voices are heard and respected.
– Empowering with Responsibility: We give student leaders real responsibilities and involve them in decision-making processes. This includes planning events, leading initiatives, and being part of district and school committees.
– Providing Training and Resources: We offer leadership training and resources to help students develop their skills. This includes workshops on communication, conflict resolution, and project management.
– Recognizing and Celebrating Achievements and Effort: We acknowledge students’ efforts and successes publicly through awards, shout-outs in school assemblies, yearbook pictures, spirit T-shirts, front of the lunch line passes, and many other small but meaningful ways to mark their participation in our program.
– Providing Mentors: We pair student leaders with mentors who can guide them and provide support. Mentors can be teachers, alumni, or community leaders.
– Encouraging Peer Collaboration: We foster a culture of collaboration among student leaders, encouraging them to work together on projects and support each other’s initiatives.
– Soliciting Feedback and Acting on It: We regularly ask for feedback on school policies and initiatives and show that their input is valued by acting on their suggestions where possible.
– Sharing Power: We involve student leaders in governance by including them in school board and school policy-making committees. This helps them understand the complexities of leadership and governance.
What’s the most memorable or funny moment you’ve had while working with students?
After more than a decade of working with student leaders, it’s almost impossible to pick just one memorable or funny moment. As I often tell my students, whichever school I am currently at is my favorite, and every year my student groups are the best I have ever worked with. We laugh at almost every meeting and event.
However, if I have to choose the most memorable, one moment stands out. Early on in the program, I worked with a group of young men who were identified as being among the lowest 100 students academically in the school during their freshman year. Watching them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas as 12 of the top 25 students in their class is a moment I will never forget. It was a testament to their hard work, the relationship they built with each other, and the power of believing in their potential.
What’s your go-to activity or game when you want to engage students and get them excited?
Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza is my current favorite – it is a card game that can be learned in less than 5 minutes and it is IMPOSSIBLE not to laugh while playing it. It is currently my magic formula for getting even the most resistant student to engage.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a student?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received from a student is to keep having honest conversations with kids and to really listen to their answers. This encouragement has made me realize that no lesson or program can fit all needs, but students crave authentic relationships.
How do you involve your students in the planning process?
Involving students in the program planning and decision-making process is at the very core of our model. Our programs aim to improve school climate and culture and increase student success with initiatives that are student-designed and led. We have student-centered programs that are data-informed, with students tailoring everything to meet the unique needs of each school community.
In a way, we have a process, not a program. This process supports students in designing initiatives that they believe best fit the needs of their peers. They lead and refine their efforts based on continued feedback from their peers. This approach ensures that our programs are relevant, effective, and truly reflective of the students’ voices and needs.
How do you show gratitude and love to your students?
First and foremost, we regularly express our care, admiration, and pride for our students. We intentionally create a culture within our student groups that is supportive and appreciative on an ongoing basis. Whether it’s snapping or clapping after a group share, ending sessions with “Pats on the Back” where students write notes of praise on notecards on each other’s backs as keepsakes for future motivation, or creating school-wide paper chains with positive shoutouts to students and educators, we make sure to show our gratitude.
Additionally, we use random posts in our group chat app to share appreciation and keep track of students’ interests and activities so we can personalize our welcome check-ins. This continuous effort helps build a strong, positive community where students feel valued and loved.
What impact do you hope to leave on the students you work with?
I hope to leave a lasting impact on my students by ensuring they remember their time in our programs as fun and memorable. I want them to cherish the friendships they made and, if they think of me, to recall how I encouraged and believed in them. The most amazing impact is when a student tells me they have decided to become a teacher because of me and aspire to be a teacher like me. We need educators who prioritize putting students at the center of their work.
What learning opportunities do you personally participate in in order to remain relevant and up-to-date on issues impacting your students?
To remain relevant and up-to-date on issues impacting my students, I make it a point to engage in continuous learning. Each day, I dedicate time to reading at least one piece of information related to high schools and high school students, whether it’s a research article, a blog post, or a news article. Additionally, I take professional development courses whenever possible. My alma mater, Boston University’s Wheelock School of Education, offers many online opportunities each year, and I try to participate in them to utilize that resource. I also attend 2 to 3 conferences annually to learn from peers and network. For instance, attending the BOOST conference last year sparked a series of connections and opportunities that have greatly enriched my professional practice.
Any advice for those who presently work with students in the field?
My advice for those who work with students is to be authentic. Students can easily tell when adults are being true to themselves, and it’s also exhausting to maintain a facade. It’s okay to have tough times, but it’s important not to be unkind or use children to vent frustrations. Instead, model how to work through stress and difficulties in healthy ways, both professionally and personally. Now more than ever, kids need good models of healthy coping mechanisms.
Today for breakfast I had…
An apple, an espresso soda, and yogurt.
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Melissa, for your leadership. We are grateful for your positive impact on youth, communities, and the field!