Empower Students to
with
SLED
Leadership in Actionfor Grades 4-12
SLED (Students Leading Education) is a transformative project-based curriculum designed for 4th-12th grade students. By blending leadership development with real-world problem-solving, SLED empowers students to take charge, collaborate with peers, and make an impact in their communities. Whether in elective classes or afterschool programs, SLED is where young leaders grow, innovate, and thrive.
Lead Boldly,Learn Fearlessly
Project-Based Learning
Students tackle real-world challenges through hands-on projects that sharpen leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Collaboration & Teamwork
SLED fosters a collaborative environment where students work together to create meaningful solutions to issues that matter to them.
Leadership Development
Through design thinking and experiential learning, students build the critical leadership skills needed to lead change in their schools and communities.
Grow Leaders,Shape the Future
SLED gives students the tools to lead with purpose, enhancing their leadership skills while preparing them for the future. By participating, students develop key soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, making them better equipped for both college and career. At the same time, educators gain access to a robust support network and valuable resources to guide their students to success.
SLED ProjectsSolve Real-World Problems
The heart of SLED is student-made projects that solve real-world problems. To create a positive impact on their school, students use the Design Thinking process to empathize with teachers, administrators, and their peers. Then, they define a problem faced by their school and prototype solutions to it. These solutions take the shape of projects implemented by students throughout the year.
Culture Projects
- Add artwork to blank walls
- Create spirit awards
- Host community events
- Create fundraisers
- Social media campaigns
- Host pep rallies
- Find and invite guest speakers
Tech Projects
- Start a student help desk
- Help teachers integrate tech into lessons
- Create a database of how-to videos
- Host parent/teacher tech training days
- Survey students about tech usage
- Partner with IT staff to take inventory
- Deploy, maintain, and re-image devices
Facilities Projects
- Create school awareness campaigns
- Hold a campus cleanup day
- Survey students about school improvement
- Host local park cleanup days
- Create recycling competitions
- Fundraise for water bottle refill stations
- Clothing, food, or essential supply drives
Health & Wellness
- Start a school garden
- Host lunchtime exercise games and activities
- Create a healthy snack campaign
- Host a mental health awareness day
- Make a comfy de-stress space in the library
- Partner with a local food bank to create care packages for quarantined families
LeadershipThat Fits Everywhere
SLED bridges academic learning with community service, offering students opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, such as organizing environmental projects.
Civic education programs can integrate SLED to teach students about government, public policy, and civic responsibility, while encouraging leadership and community service projects.
SLED complements CTE pathways by incorporating leadership and service opportunities, especially in fields like Health Science and Public Services, where students lead impactful community projects.
ASB and student government groups can utilize SLED to enhance their service projects, events, and fundraisers while developing leadership and communication skills.
CPAs with a focus on real-world experiences can integrate SLED’s leadership components, offering students opportunities to take on leadership roles in community-focused projects.
Programs like “Character Counts!” can incorporate SLED’s leadership projects to emphasize values such as empathy, responsibility, and community engagement.
SLED supports school clubs like Key Club or National Honor Society, providing students with hands-on leadership experience through service projects and community campaigns.
In Linked Learning pathways, SLED provides leadership opportunities by connecting students with real-world experiences tied to their career interests, such as public health or environmental sustainability.
What's Included
Adventure Guide
The Guide is a collection of activities and resources for Advisors to guide their SLED chapter! This content is designed to support afterschool programming and daily elective classes. Sessions focus on design thinking, leadership development, and building real-world problem-solving skills.
SLED Project Portal
Every SLED Chapter gains access to an easy-to-use SLED Project Portal! The Portal enables project submission, collects assessment data, generates impact reports, and hosts all the resources necessary to run a successful SLED program.
Advisor Support & Resources
Trail Guides onboard Advisors to the SLED program providing a collection of resources to launch and run the program successfully. Advisors also are provided with one on one coaching throughout the year. Trail Guides connect Advisors and chapters to the national SLED community.
Gamified Learning
As chapters submit projects on the SLED portal, they ascend Mt. SLED! SLED's gamified learning elements encourage students to stay playful, engaged, creative, and explorative on their journey to create positive impact at their school.
National Competition
Win money for your school! Every year, we host a national competition and invite every SLED chapter to compete for thousands of dollars in prize money.