Cultivate Leadership Skills in Community and Get Prepared for College

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Homeschooling has come a long way in the past thirty years. It used to be challenging for homeschoolers to validate their education to colleges. Now, colleges look more favorably on homeschooled students because of their independent study skills. What can be lacking on their resume, however, is leadership skills. With so many options for finding a community of other homeschoolers, students today should take advantage of the opportunities to cultivate some leadership skills with friends.

Colleges and scholarship applications will ask for leadership experience. Your student can stand out in a crowd and even have the opportunity of getting college covered by taking some time to get creative with some fellow homeschoolers.

Form Clubs

Wouldn't you love to list President of the Shakespeare Club under the leadership experience section of a college or scholarship application? All you need to form a club is a few friends and a common interest. My son's community group is reading some of Shakespeare's plays this year. In order to help them better understand what they're reading, he's organizing and hosting movie nights for his class. As he works to coordinate schedules, plan menus, and foster learning, he's definitely gaining valuable experience in leading a group. These skills would easily transfer to managing a team in any work situation. Here are some club ideas for your student to start:

• Chess Club
• Cooking Club
• Art Club
• Running Club
• Gaming Club

Volunteer Together

College and scholarship applications love to see students who have given their time to serve others. However, it can be intimidating to find a place to help out by yourself. With a group of friends, you can utilize greater connections by networking through the families in your community. Set a goal, like those available in the Presidential Service Award, to volunteer for a certain amount of hours, and then make a plan to get it done.   Opportunities for volunteering might include:

• Food Banks
• Nursing Homes
• Hospitals
• Local Zoo
• Local schools

There are so many ways to build community while volunteering as well as cultivating leadership skills along the way. Don't feel like just because you're not in the public school system, you don't have the opportunity to cultivate leadership skills. Grab a group of friends and make leadership opportunities happen. With a resume full of unique experiences, you can help yourself stand out from the crowd and doors may open for you to have your college education covered!