2018 marked the 11th year of the annual Student Life Training Conference (SLTC). The SLTC, which took place in Athens, Greece, brought together a total of 123 participants (including 97 prefects and 26 Student Life Coordinators) from around the world to share in this life-changing experience.
From July 9-18, 2018, 97 prefects in grades 9-12 from 30 SABIS® schools took part in a program designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to improve the SABIS Student Life Organization® (SLO®) in their schools and positively impact the lives of others.
This year, participants were trained on goal-oriented mindsets and SLTC encouraged to set an action plan which they would implement at their school in order to improve SLO® at their school. Prefects from different schools gathered in groups to brainstorm ideas on how to increase efficiency and come up with novel ideas to ensure the success of the whole student body. The outcome was pretty impressive!
The Academic Department prefects decided to assign a day per week to train new Shadow Teachers® and organize academic inter-grade competitions for each class. They also agreed to have more academic activities and events on campus such as public speaking, poetry competitions, and much more.
The Discipline Department agreed to provide additional training and support to prefects to better equip them in handling any discipline issues at the school. Initiatives such as bullying prevention week and listening to students’ issues were some of the suggestions prefects came up with to make their schools even better places in the coming year.
The Management Department prefects also set new and attainable goals for the academic year. This department discussed the ways they could improve communication and overall school management in each of their respective schools. Prefects considered the potential for an online, monthly newsletter as a way to keep students up-to-date on all that was happening at school. They also decided to host mini-conferences for prefects as a way of further training them to be successful in their roles at the school.
For the Sports & Health Department, their action plan included activities aimed at encouraging students to stay healthy and fit. The prefects agreed on the importance of developing better eating habits, encouraging morning fitness routines and warm-ups, getting students active by promoting walking and running, hosting competitions like cycling, and much more.
The prefects in the Activities Department discussed and agreed to create more clubs for students to join. These clubs included music, debate, dance, and many more that would give students the opportunity to explore their interests and discover new hobbies or enjoy old ones.
The Outreach Department developed a plan to help make students and staff feel more welcome and appreciated this year. Prefects decided to host appreciation days, smile campaigns, senior marches, job fairs, and other activities which would spread positive vibes on campus.
The Lower School Department prefects were determined to help the younger generation acquire basic skills and enjoy their first few years at school. These prefects suggested a number of activities including peer tutoring, movie nights, career day, school dances, and much more.
Last but not least, the Social Responsibility Department focused their meeting on identifying the many ways they could work with other students to improve the environment and others’ quality of life. They set a plan to increase recycle bins in classrooms, plant one tree per month, provide senior citizens with assistance and entertainment, and other socially responsible initiatives.
Students attending the conference also enjoyed non-academic activities such as trips to historical and touristic sites including the Acropolis and the first Olympic stadium, in addition to going on a ferry cruise and a treasure hunt.
“The SLTC is an amazing opportunity that every student involved in SLO® should experience. You leave on the last day with so much more knowledge about student life, your department, and other departments. You also meet so many amazing people and make longlasting friendships. It's truly a great way to spend 10 days of your summer and something that I believe everyone will remember.”
– Michael Denson, student at SABIS® International Charter School in Massachusetts, U.S.A.
If you would like to learn more about the Student Life Training Conference and see more photos taken during the conference, visit sltc.sabis.net.