South Student Council Receives Top Honor for Outstanding Achievement

South Middle School is one of 13 high schools and 4 middle schools in the state receiving recognition as a high achieving leadership program with a Gold Council Award. The award, sponsored by the Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC) sets high standards for student councils and leadership programs, and honors them if they can reach or exceed these goals. 

The leadership programs begin by setting goals in the fall and actively participate in leadership activities and events throughout the year. In order to receive the award, programs must create and encourage activities that promote inclusivity among all students at the school and provide a series of events that include a variety of different areas/disciplines in the school. Along with involvement in the school, they must also demonstrate that they are gaining valuable leadership and professional skills that they can take with them outside of school. 

“The impact of student leaders is truly extraordinary. They directly affect the climate and culture of their schools, often extending their influence into the community and beyond. During Covid, we have seen student leaders show incredible resiliency, positivity, creativity and strength in the face of adversity,” Sarah Cole, OASC Leadership Consultant Team, Adviser Programming and Support. Usually, these award winning schools are recognized in person at OASC Spring Conference in April, but due to Covid we are honoring our schools virtually and will be mailing certificates this August. 

The Oregon Association of Student Councils, founded in 1949 and sponsored by The Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA), serves middle and high school students and advisers from around the state. They provide conferences, workshops, online newsletters and summer leadership camps designed to heighten student leadership development and improve school culture. In the last few years, OASC has also added a Capitol Ambassador program and has begun organizing with affinity groups. The association is guided by their mission statement: Committed to leadership development with a vision for service, involvement and action.