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Students describe emotional takeaways from Elks peer leadership conference, urge mock workshops at schools

New Milford Board of Education · May 8, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

A group of students attending the New Jersey Elks peer leadership conference in Long Branch described workshops by speakers including Brandon White and a keynote referred to as Craig, called for mock workshops locally and thanked the Elks community for funding the trip.

Students and their advisor presented to the board about the New Jersey Elks peer leadership conference they attended in February in Long Branch.

Student presenters (introduced by 'Missus Jaeger') summarized workshops and keynotes by Patrick George, Brandon White and Craig, praising the sessions as "emotional, impactful" and describing exercises that encouraged students to share experiences and practice leadership. A student said Brandon White's recurring phrase and stance was "own it," a takeaway used to encourage personal confidence.

Several students described small‑group activities, writing anonymously about challenges and participating in exercises that, they said, helped them connect with peers. One student recounted that Craig’s session prompted strong emotional responses among attendees: "kids were bawling ... it was one of the most impactful speeches I've ever heard."

Board members commended the presentation and encouraged students to follow through on recommendations, including organizing a mock workshop locally. A board member suggested exploring Title funds and local partnerships to bring speakers; administrators recommended speaking with district staff who oversee grants to pursue potential funding.

Provenance: student presentation is given starting at SEG 056 and continues through SEG 348. Closing encouragement from board members and suggestions about funding are in SEG 387–SEG 424.

Ending: Board expressed support for student leadership efforts and encouraged administrators to work with students on next steps for local programming.