As an adviser, your role is extremely important as you support your middle level students during the application process. While none of your responsibilities will extend beyond your regular activities as a student council adviser, they do include:
- Guidance. Advisers need to introduce the criteria for the Emerging Student Leader recognition and guide students through each core area. We recommend that advisers check in with interested students throughout the process to ensure that they are on track and meeting any goals set for completing the program.
- Evaluation. Students will be expected to demonstrate both knowledge and skill in multiple areas of leadership, and the adviser will assess each student’s performance through a criteria checklist. Throughout the process, advisers should observe students in a variety of tasks and activities and sign off as students successfully accomplish each one. Use the Emerging Student Leader Skills Checklist to affirm that the student meets each criterion indicator. An adviser will also need to receive and evaluate each student’s self-assessment that consists of the student’s checklist and responses to reflection questions on the core areas.
- Affirmation. Once students are determined by the adviser to have met the criteria to be recognized at the Developmental or Emerging Student Leader levels, the adviser can log on to the NASC website to report results and download certificate templates.
For general information about the National Student Council Emerging Student Leader program, visit our FAQ page.