Rock Hill Schools becomes first in SC to adopt ‘Leader in Me’ program
The program claims to foster student leadership and potential
ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - In a major announcement Wednesday, Rock Hill Schools became the first district in South Carolina to fully adopt the “Leader in Me” framework.
This program, developed by FranklinCovey, aims to transform how students, teachers and administrators approach education over the next five years.
The district is investing $1.7 million in the program, which is based on the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey. These habits, like “be proactive” and “think win-win,” will be taught to both students and teachers.
Superintendent Dr. Tommy Schmolze believes the program will foster leadership and potential within students.
“Everybody has a genius inside them,” Schmolze said. “What we’re doing is bringing that genius out to say, ‘How can you use that to help our community?’”
Independence Elementary School in Rock Hill was the first in the district to adopt the program back in 2018. Principal Kimberly Odom has seen positive results, with students taking on leadership roles and thriving even during the challenges of the pandemic.
“We’ve been able to see our students taking the lead,” Odom said. “Because that was in place, I think a lot of our students didn’t lose their footing and were able to continue to thrive through the pandemic.”
The funding for the program comes from a combination of grants, a generous donor and investment from the South Carolina Department of Education.
WBTV will continue to follow the implementation of this program in Rock Hill Schools.
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