HDF 190: FLITE (FIRST-YEAR LEADERS INSPIRED TO EXCELLENCE)

URI MINOR IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES, CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

CORE REQUIREMENT FOR THE LEADERSHIP MINOR
SPRING 2016

SERVICE LEARNING & LEADERSHIP CONTRACT DRAFT

Goal: To identify and utilize my Strengths (Gallup Talents/StrengthsQuest and/or VIA
Character Strengths) in an organizational/interpersonal setting that aligns with the
mission, vision, values and sponsored programs and activities of URIs Center for
Student Leadership Development. See Inventory document and/or web.uri.edu/leadership
for these details.

Activity:
As a new student leader at the University of Rhode Island, I have to live up to my
standards of leadership. In order to do so, I have to get involved and set a good example
as the leader that I want to be known as around campus. Because I have decided to be a
leader, I need to lead with action. Therefore, I have hereby decided to go through and
complete the training to become a challenge course facilitator. Becoming a challenge
course facilitator will bring forth new physical and mental challenges into my life that
Ive never had to face before. Although the challenges may bring doubt or defeat across
me, I know that in the end it will only make me a better leader and, more importantly, a
better person.
Annotation:
Now that I am a challenge course facilitator, it is a lot different than the way that I
expected it to be. Going in, I thought there was going to be a strict grid of rules and
methods of facilitating that we would have to follow. Shortly after our first day of
training on the challenge course began, I realized that that wasnt the case at all. I found
out that day that not only were there different ways to go about facilitating, but that you
could absolutely do it your own style. Knowing this turned facilitating into somewhat of
a style of art. Each facilitator has their own style of facilitation. I can apply my creative
ability to the challenge course when facilitating by including the next new challenge that
my groups have never really experience before, as long as the group is high functioning
enough to be able to handle the challenge without losing interest. Doing this will allow
my group to receive the experience of the challenge course. Another tactic I use on the
challenge course is inclusiveness. Making sure you are inclusive when dealing with
groups of people is especially important because that allows for a group to be most
affective; and its important that the group I am facilitating knows this so they can take
what they learn at the challenge course and apply it elsewhere in their lives. So far, there
have been many challenges that I have faced on the challenge course that really test your

leadership skills on all levels and Im sure that there are more to come. When you go to
facilitate a group at the challenge course, you have to be ready for anything that comes
your way. Whether it be a rambunctious group, a lowly skilled group a high functioning
group or even bad weather, you as a leader have to be able to adapt to the different
environments that you get placed in. Becoming a challenge course facilitator here at URI
was one of the best decisions that I could have ever made as it challenges me on so many
levels that Ive never been challenged on before.

Instructor Signature: ____________________________________________

Student Signature: ______________________________________________