2012 Student Leader Summit Schedule

9 - 9.30 AM             REGISTRATION
Academic South

9.30 - 9.45 AM       WELCOME

9.45 - 10.30 AM     OPENING KEYNOTE - MARIO DE DIVITIIS
                                Mario wears many hats - active Niagara local,
                                Executive Director of Leadership Niagara, co-owner
                                of Seven 2 Hospitalities (whose famous Niagara
                                aliases include Stella's, Gord's Place, and Amici's
                                Banquet and Conference Centre). This creative and
                                entrepreneurial innovator will enlighten us with his
                                philosophy on 'community' and how you can apply your
                                leadership here and now.

10.30 - 11.30 AM    CONCURRENT SESSION 1

                             A. Discover your passions, create your vision
                                 How often do you stop and think about what makes
                                 you unique and strong, or what the very best version
                                 of YOU looks like? Self-Reflection is a process that
                                 can bring inner hopes, dreams and goals to light;
                                 it’s an important part of personal growth. Take a
                                 moment (or 50 minutes!) to reflect, discover, be
                                 passionate and create the very best version of yourself.

                             B. Developing your Personal Portfolio
                                 Looking to stand out from the crowd? It’s time to learn
                                 the nuts and bolts of developing your personal career
                                 portfolio and how to showcase the skills, talents and
                                 accomplishments that make you unique.

                             C. Servant Leadership
                                 In Kent M. Keiths book, The Case for Servant
                                 Leadership, ‘leadership’ requires a comprehensive
                                 understanding of identity, mission, vision and
                                 environment. Building on this concept, A Servant
                                 Leader values the quality of people, community
                                 spirit, and meaningful work.

11.45 AM - 1 PM     LUNCH N' LEARN
Isaac's                     Ildi Wiley will share her insights on  best networking
                              practices, developing your own 'individual brand', and
                              emphasize how to make the most out of your interactions
                              with others.

1 - 2 PM                 NETWORKING
Isaac's                     Your opportunity to connect with your peers and
                               like-minded others with the goal of collaboration
                               in mind.

2 - 3 PM                  CONCURRENT SESSION 2

                             A. Improvisation and leadership
                                 This session will focus on the skills of improv (and,
                                 specifically, how they can also be applied to being a
                                 leader). The parallels between improv and leadership
                                 are many: trust, collaboration, courage, taking risks,
                                 openness, making others look good, etc. During this
                                 time together, we will play games, develop bonds,
                                 explore “open space”, and discuss what was sought
                                 and learned.

                             B. Reignite your creative self (the importance of "play"
                                 in our lives)
                                 Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson claims that we
                                 aren’t taught into creativity, we are taught out of it.
                                 With this theory in mind, we will consider how “play”
                                 is not the opposite of work, but essential for great
                                 work. “Play” is vital for personal development,
                                 learning, and healthy relationships with others –
                                 this session will help you to rediscover the importance
                                 of keeping your 5 year-old self alive.

                             C. Thinking outside the box (getting rid of the box)
                                 Creativity is not synonymous with magic, no. Rather,
                                 it’s a fluff-free, practical science that you can use to
                                 solve everyday problems. Harness your creative energy
                                 and discover ways to ‘think outside the box’ (or how
                                 to get rid of the box entirely) in this interactive,
                                 thought-sharing, brain-energizing workshop.
 

3 - 4 PM                  CONCURRENT SESSION 3
                             A.  Project Management
                                 The processes behind project management involve
                                 more than ‘To Do’ lists and big dreams - they involve
                                 careful planning, monitoring, preparing for obstacles,
                                 thoughtful review and reflection. If this day has
                                 inspired you to move on a game-changing idea, then
                                 this session will help illuminate the route to that
                                 glorious finish line!

                             B.  Maximizing your team
                                  So you know that “there are strength in numbers”,
                                  “two heads are better than one”, “followers are the
                                  difference between a ‘leader’ and a ‘lone nut’!” – but
                                  you may not have perfected the art of leading a team
                                  to greatness. Come learn how to recruit, motivate and
                                  empower the people around you in order to reach their
                                  full "team-player" potential.

                             C.  Discussion panel: creating a bright future for Brock
                                   After spending hours leading up to this session
                                  exploring your personal potential and nurturing your
                                  creative mindset, join student leaders (past and
                                  present) in an interactive discussion to dream up ways
                                  to make Brock a better place. Then, walk away with
                                  ideas about how you can contribute to this action
                                  plan for success.

4 - 4.30 PM              CLOSING KEYNOTE - WES PRANKARD
                                Wes Prankard is a 14 year-old philanthropist whose
                                journey began in 2010 when his dad returned from
                                a trip to Attawapiskat, ON. Wes recently spoke at
                               TEDx St. Catharines, to read his full bio, click here.