Empowering Student Voices: Lakefield College School’s House Leadership Model

Last year, Lakefield College School introduced a student-led House Leadership Model to amplify student voice and strengthen connections within our houses. Inspired by former Co-Heads Abby ’23 and Griffin ’23, this initiative was created in addition to our Student Grade Representatives with the goal of becoming a vibrant part of student life, empowering more students to make meaningful contributions both within their houses and the broader school community.

The model features five key leadership roles per house, expanding student responsibilities and providing diverse opportunities for young leaders to shine. Currently, 60 students from Grades 9 to 11 participate, representing their peers, guiding house meetings, and spearheading projects. Monthly gatherings of House Leaders offer a platform for sharing insights and feedback, ensuring each house's unique voice is heard.

Ideally, House Leaders play a central role in our monthly House Meetings, also, leading discussions, sharing announcements, and encouraging their peers to engage in ongoing initiatives. These meetings offer hands-on leadership experience and opportunities for student-led decision-making, where leaders introduce new ideas, address issues important to their peers, and coordinate events that build school spirit, support sustainability, and foster well-being.

Through the House Leadership Model, our hope is that students will gain more than just leadership experience. They will develop an increased sense of belonging, knowing they have a voice in shaping the school environment. This model provides a structured opportunity for students to become skilled in leading meetings, representing their peers, and initiating projects that reflect their personal interests and goals. Many students focus on initiatives aligned with core values, such as sustainability, service learning, and school spirit, ensuring their contributions resonate deeply with their values.

Our goal with the House Leadership Model is to create opportunities for students to leave their mark at LCS, contributing to a culture of inclusivity, responsiveness, and empowerment. The model exemplifies our commitment to building a community where student leaders are encouraged to grow and make a difference, inspiring our young people to consider the lasting impact they could have on their future alma mater.

Congratulations to this year's leaders:

	Arts & Athletics Spirit	Belonging	Service Learning	Sustainability	Wellbeing
Colebrook	Lily Gaudrault	Leo Weir	Fraser Root-Maher	Alex Holoborodko	Somers Stevenson
Cooper	Ryan Simmons	Khalid Ghanem	Axel Fontana	Oliver Rhodes	Marcus Li
Grove	Dora Zhao	Manaka Oe	Leah Doherty	Jorja Leyland	Maria Goldman
Matthews	Max Peach	Niko Qose	Jimmy Fan	Kaya Mangtay	James
Memorial	Ella Seville-Cottam	Sadie Mabbott	Sofia Elek	Keeva Xue	Mariana Ardila
Moodie	Nora Reise-Ward	Pauline Von Dewitz	Chaewon	Riko Kobayashi	Maddie Arbo
Ondaatje	Melody Huang	Sydney	Isla Russell-Howes	Angel Xu	Shakira Pio
Parent	Cari van der Merwe	Jimin Lee	Janelle	Valerie Lo	Cecie Abatneh
Rashleigh	Ted Wang	Daniel Li	Nate Levec	Jay Fruchet	Julian Chew
Ryder	Jack Douglas	Henry Hu	Nathan Cho	Zam Nanji	August Stemann Johansen
Uplands	Elise Devitt/ Isla Hart	Vanessa Hubbs	Fiona Zhou	Dawn Liu	Nina Zhou
Ross	Theo Jones	Seb Sangberg	Kaan Caliskan	Kevin Lam/ Juanca Hernandez Steinfatt	Willis Meng