Online Leadership Training for Teens
Leadership training can bolster a teen's self-confidence as well as her chances of succeeding personally and professionally as an adult. Several online sources provide leadership training and development designed for teens. Accessing leadership training on line can be an advantage for teens who may not otherwise be exposed to leadership development or who may be taking first steps toward community involvement. However, relying on the Internet as a sole source of training has drawbacks. To get the most out of Internet leadership training, parents and teens should consider their goal plus the benefits and limitations of learning on line.
Other People Are Reading
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Types of Training Tools
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Websites advertising leadership training for young people accomplish objectives in different ways. Some sites, such as Youthleadership.com, provide teens with access to information such as white papers, newsletters or articles related to leadership.
Other websites, such as Global Kids' On line Leadership Program, provide training through games, virtual worlds and chat rooms. In addition to reading material, the American Student Government Association offers tests and quizzes for student leaders to evaluate their skills and determine how their school's student government compares to other high schools across the country.
Concepts Covered
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Leadership training for teens is built on understanding and applying several different theoretical and practical skills. For example, Global Kids exposes young people to international policy issues, such as Haiti relief, and provides opportunities to practice leadership, debate, communication and persuasion skills by offering facilitated on line debates, which model adult civic participation. Teens interested in learning more about concepts can visit youth-workpractice.com (see Reference 5) for a list of different leadership theories as well as an online quiz to determine individual leadership style.
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Benefits
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Booking a trainer for an in-person session with a youth group can be costly, but most Internet websites providing teen leadership education and training do not charge for the information. Like most Internet training, teens can move at their own pace and finish the training on their own time line. Many leadership websites also offer links to other groups and organizations that provide additional resources for young people looking for additional information or opportunities to lead.
Drawbacks
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Free and convenient does not always mean better. Leadership is a dynamic discipline that includes many nuances and perspectives which can be hard to relay without face to face interaction and real-world peer and professional connections.
Many teen organizations, such as the National Teen Leadership Program, teach empowerment, communication and preservation skills through camps offering speakers, obstacle courses, entertainment and workshops. These events also offer chances to meet other youth leaders from around the country. After reviewing itineraries for these "real-world" teen leadership training, parents and their teens may feel that online training can be isolating and might not provide the entire skill range necessary to succeed in influencing others.
Warnings
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Not all websites that promise leadership training for teens have a young person's best interest in mind. Before starting an online leadership training program, teens or their parents should check a website's accreditation and references. Other red flags include websites with many typos or mistakes, missing contact information and overblown promises.
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References
Resources
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