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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Basic Information
Full Name: Shivank Singh
UC Email: singh2sk@mail.uc.edu
College: McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Exploratory Studies
Title of Project: Ohio Association of Student Councils, Summer Workshop 2015
Thematic Area: Leadership
Expected Project Start Date: July 11, 2015
Expected Project End Date: July 16, 2015
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
The Ohio Association of Student Councils (OASC) is an organization dedicated to fostering the growth
of leadership, sportsmanship, and citizenship in student council members from middle schools and high
schools across the state of Ohio. OASC holds various events throughout the year which educate students
through workshops, group activities & discussions, and speakers. The largest and most popular of these
events is the OASC Summer Workshop. Workshop is a five-day, four night event held at the Wright
State University in Fairborn, Ohio. There are three sessions of Workshop, and each has high school and
a middle school programs. At Workshop, students are divided into councils, small groups in which the
majority of the learning will be conducted. Within these councils, students complete many activities,
ranging from individual tasks to presentations and discussions to writing. Every activity has a different
purposethey each focus on a unique aspect of leadership. These can include, but are not limited to,
communication skills, group dynamics, problem-solving, decision-making, and campaigning. Apart
from the councils, students also participate in large-group activities, which involve collaboration and
cooperation. The students work together to learn and take home the skills they develop at Workshop.
Workshop is a very social and fun experience, aside from educational. Throughout the week, various
social events occur that allow students to break boundaries, get to know each other, and form
relationships and bonds that last beyond the week. It is not uncommon for an OASC delegate to say
some of their best friends are those they meet at Workshop.
While this environment of friendliness and proximity is of course propagated by the students, it is
facilitated and developed by the staff members. OASC programs are run by volunteer staff members.
These are high school and college students who have already graduated from the programs. To become a
staff member, one must apply to OASC. I began as a Middle Level staff member. This means I staffed
the programs directed toward middle school students. Last year, I applied into and joined the Senior
High staff team, so I now staff the high school programs. As a staff member, I must go through
extensive training (including multiple weekend-long retreats throughout the year). Training involves
learning and knowing the material taught at OASC well enough to teach it. However, staff members also
learn how to teach and how to work with middle school and high school students. As a staff member,
one effectively serves as a counselor, teacher, mentor, and friend. These relationships last far beyond
Workshop. Often, I have been asked for advice or suggestions on a wide range of topics by the students
I have staffed throughout the years.
In just five days at Workshop, I see students transform exponentially. They quickly learn and adopt
concepts that can be used not only in their student councils, but in all parts of their lives. These students
form the foundation of a skillset they can use to take their lives in new directions. They also form bonds
with other students and staff members that are supportive and positive throughout their difficult
adolescent years. It is incredible to be a facilitator in this senseto get to help mold these students by
introducing them to ideas and abilities to which they had not exposure before.

Through this project, I want to study the leadership dynamics in the staff teams with which I will work
this summer. The staff teams comprise the best students from the program, so all members are excellent
leaders. I have often noticed, however, that the staff team is a balance of various types of leaders. There
are outgoing staff members, but there are quiet staff members. There are those who focus on building
individual relationships, and there are those who bond with the whole group. Some staff members are
more experience-based, some are more learning-based. This summer, I want to study the numerous
leadership styles each staff member embodies. It is interesting to see how each is so crucial to the
program and how each affects the students learning, as well as the staff members. I will use the Honors
experience to understand the web these styles createhow this web is a safety net that creates a safe
place for the students to grow and learn.
Time Commitment: Workshop, as stated above, is a five-day, four-night experience. This means it will
last at least 120 hours. This does not include the day before workshop on which staff reach Wright State
to set up the area for the week, or the staff training that occurs a few weekends before the workshop. Nor
does it include the hours of preparation a staff member conducts on his or her own to get ready for the
students. Overall, the time commitment is over 200 hours.
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
1. Possesses knowledge of various leadership theories and identifies with the characteristics of
leadership
Through this project, I will understand how different leadership theories manifest themselves in
application. In studying various academic theories on leadership and drawing upon my past
knowledge & experience, I will amass a few ideas on leadership styles, such as the idea of
democratic vs. autocratic vs. laissez-faire leadership. This will provide me a background for when I
see the ways in which the various staff members display their leadership. After Workshop, when I
have collected notes and observations on the leadership shown, I will be able to assign each staff
member a leadership style by name. The way a staff member actsthe things they do or saywill
identify them with a certain or a couple certain leadership styles. These characteristics and traits will
help me understand the interactions of different leadership styles. For example, confrontational
leaders tend not to work well together. Therefore, if I notice two or three staff members that are
generally more aggressive and vocal, it will be interesting to note how they interact with each other,
both in front of the students and away from them. Similarly, if two laissez-faire staff members are in
charge of the same council, I would assume that the council would not grow or learn as much as
from staff members who employ different styles. If this or a parallel situation occurs during the
week, that may help me to understand the importance of diversity in leadership style.
2. Identifies the various characteristics of a leader in a given situation/role
In studying each staff member, I will undoubtedly notice specific characteristics, habits, sayings, or
actions that each will employ throughout the week in all the situations that occur. Each will have
their own, different from what the others do or say. These traits will embody their specific leadership
style, whatever it may be. This underscores the idea that there is no one type of leaderrather, a
leader can adopt myriad different styles to best serve his or her group (in this case, the councils).
On another note, in given situations or scenarios (such as emergencies or other unexpected
circumstances), I will get to see how different leaders react and recover. This will be especially
telling of leadership styles, because they will be in-the-moment reactions.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
A. Relation to personal, professional, and academic goals
Because of my involvement in OASC since the eighth grade, I have grown up understanding how
important leadership skills are to a persons success professionally. Colleges look for strong leaders
in their potential students. Graduate schools do the same. Most importantly, companies look for
leaders to hire, because they know these people will be able to lead their coworkers and customers to
success. It is a hot topic and great skill to have right now, as people are starting to realize the

importance and necessity of leadership. Thus, by studying the various leadership styles, I will set
myself up in a positive direction professionally. To be a successful person in the real world, one
must be a strong leader. I already have a strong basis in being a leader, now it is my turn to
understand other leaders so that I can work better with many types.
On a personal level, I have prided myself in the development of my leadership skills. OASC has
taught me quite a bit, which I was able to use throughout high school, culminating in positions as
Student Body President of my high school and State Board President of OASC. I know I am a
capable and strong leader, but I can never stop improving. This experience will help me take the best
of leadership styles I do not normally use and twist them for my benefit. Instead of subscribing to
one theory, I will be able to amalgamate numerous styles and form a stronger one, a sort of best of
the best idea.
B. Academic theories & reading
1. Theories
Throughout recent history, many different leadership theories have developed. There are the
traits theory, the Great Man theory, and the contingency theory, among many others. All study a
different idea in leadership, and all attribute a leaders success to different aspects of the leaders
actions. For this study, I have chosen the behavioral theory. Developed at the Ohio State
University and by Dr. Rensis Likert at the University of Michigan in the 1940s, this theory states
that anyone can become a leader, as long as they adopt various skills and habits that most leaders
tend to express. This is the idea on which OASC is foundedOASC seeks to teach any student
how to become a leader. The OSU study identified task-oriented leaders and people-oriented
leaders. Task-oriented leaders tend to be more organizational and informational, while peopleoriented leaders focus on coaching and observing. Dr. Likert identified a third leader, the
participative leader. These are all theories I will study in my project, since all three are ones I can
see in various staff members. The behavioral aspects of each will be easy to study, as each type
of leader acts in his or her own way, corresponding to their style.
I will also use the Managerial Grid Model, also known as the Leadership Grid. Developed by
Drs. Robert R. Blake and Jane Srygley Mouton in 1964, the Managerial Grid Model graphs
various leadership styles, including the country club leader and the status quo leader. This
model will help me chart the various leadership styles the staff members express, such that I can
visually see how they interact with each other. Drs. Blake and Mouton explain the various
leaders and their interactions, including opportunities for success or conflict. I will be able to
identify these throughout the week.
2. Reading
In preparation for the experience, I will read Leadership: Theory & Practice, by Peter G.
Northouse. Northouses book is a reading adopted by hundreds of colleges around the world to
teach their students different leadership skills and abilities. Each chapter of the book focuses on a
new leadership style. This book will provide me a large background of information, which I will
use to better understand the staff members leadership styles.
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
At Workshop, the focus is always on the students and their learning. The staffs primary focus is to
ensure that the students are maximizing their potential throughout the week. Often, the staff members
own growth and development is forgotten, because so much time is dedicated to the students. As part of
my project, I will (while completing my job as a staff member primarily there for the students) key in on
the staff members from time to time. I will observe their growth and learning to see how Workshop is an
educational experience for more than just the students. It will be my responsibility to study each staff
member and understand how they change throughout the week and if this changes their leadership style.
This will help the other staff members, as well. Because they may disregard their personal reflection in
favor of working with the students, I will be able to provide them with my notes and observations. This
will allow them to see their own development that they might not notice otherwise.

5. Reflection
Reflection is a vital part of being a staff member at OASC. Indeed, every day we need to reflect on the
happenings in order to tailor our work as staff members, in order to better serve the students. For
example, every night the staff team gathers for an hour-long meeting that involves reviewing the day.
This comprises discussing what went well, what may need improvement in the future, and any issues or
concerns that can be addressed at that moment. The staff confer about various students in the program,
highlighting individual growth or indicating areas in which a student may need extra attention and
assistance. However, reflection is not limited to the nightly meetings. Throughout the day, a staff
member needs to be cognizant of his or her students progress. The staff member must pay attention to
the students learning and well-being, to make sure the experience is as beneficial and healthy for the
student as the staff member can make it. This takes reflection after every activity, every conversation,
and every interaction.
As a staff member, I am already required to document some of the nightly reflection in the form of
evaluations. These evaluations are sent to the program coordinators to compile for future redesigning of
the programs. In order to complete the reflection component of the honors experience, I will assist in the
compilation of this data. This involves mostly typing evaluations into a database for future reference.
This will give me access to the entire teams reflection. I can use this information to augment my
personal reflection, which will come in the form of a journal. I will have a notebook with me at
Workshop, in which I will record my daily and nightly reflection thoughts. This will provide me a
physical reminder of my individual thinking and learning. I will focus on some specific ideas throughout
the week, including (but not limited to) the following:
How am I assisting in the students learning process? What am I doing well? What do I need to
improve?
Are there any specific students on whom I need to focus? What can I do to improve or increase
this specific students growth?
What is something I noticed today that I can include as a specific detail in the dissemination
project? How will this convince students to join OASC?
What am I learning? What is something I didnt expect to see, notice, or understand, but which
happened today? How is this relevant to the learning outcomes, goals, and academic theories
listed above?
The responses to these questions will be especially useful for the creation of the dissemination project,
as they can be a part of the foundation for the information presented.
6. Dissemination
OASC is catered toward middle school and high school students across the state of Ohio, specifically
students involved in their schools student council programs. In order to share what I have learned
through Summer Workshop, I plan to create a presentation for middle school and high school student
councils in the Cincinnati area. This presentation will most likely take the form of a PowerPoint or
Prezi. I want to present my learning to students in the area who are not already part of OASC. For
example, schools like Lakota West High School and Sycamore High School have reportedly strong
student council programs, and yet they are not involved in OASC. My goal, then, would be to use my
contacts in these and other similar school districts to reach out to the students to introduce OASC to
them. After the PowerPoint or Prezi presentation, I would like to have informational pamphlets to hand
out for the students to have the necessary knowledge to become involved with OASC. These students
can learn so much from OASCs Summer Workshops (and its other programs) that will help them excel
in student council and bring their student councils to new heights. They will be able to network with
other students and schools through OASC, and they can learn from student council practices conducted

across the state through OASC. The students stand much to gain from OASC, so my goal is to guide
them toward joining OASC.
7. Project Advisors
Connie Miley, Executive Director and Middle Level Coordinator of OASC
connie.miley@oasc-oh.org
Dude Coudret, Senior High Coordinator of OASC
dude.coudret@oasc-oh.org
I have worked with Connie and Dude for four years with OASC. As the leaders of this organization,
they have an aggregate more than thirty years of experience in working with the students to develop the
leadership, sportsmanship, and citizenship skills. They create the programs and teach us how to educate
the delegates. Connie & Dude have been my role models and teachers for a very long and significant
period of my life. Connie dedicates her time to OASC and a similar organization in West Virginia called
iBelieve, where she also teaches students leadership skills. When not at OASC, Dude fosters leadership
development in students at the University of Dayton. This means both Connie and Dude have extensive
skills in this area, so their expertise will be of great help during the completion of this project.
8. Budget
Registration for Summer Workshop, Staff Member: $100
Travel costs: $15 (82 mi / 18 mpg x $3.20 per gallon)
Supplies for staffing purposes: $60 (including decorations, materials, food, costumes)
Leadership: Practice & Theory: $35.00 (on Amazon)
Estimated total: $210