Naugatuck Valley Community College hosted the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) annual Elementary Level School Leadership Conference on Wednesday, January 9.

Approximately 300 students from Waterbury Public Schools in grades 4-6 participated in workshops related to communication, productive thinking and decision making.

The goal of the conference demonstrated the use of a multi-talent approach in helping each child find his/her best way of developing leadership skills.

NVCC student volunteers led interactive exercises in communication for the students. During one exercise, students were asked to draw pictures and help guide their teammates toward correctly defining them without any verbal communication.

The College has been partnering with CAS to host the event for the Greater Waterbury area since its inception in the 1990s.

Theresa Chawner, social worker at the Thomaston Center School, said the conference was a valuable opportunity for students to learn about managing and responding to peer conflict, teaching tolerance to others and finding innovative ways to have their voices heard. “I feel privileged to be able to spend the day with these students and watch them learn these amazing skills. I can’t wait to bring another group of students next year,” Chawner said.

A special session was held for parents relating their role in cultivating leadership. According to Kristy Chieppo, chaperone and mother of a fifth-grade Wakelee Elementary School student, “The parent workshops were terrific and provided valuable information about ways in which we can foster leadership skills with our kids.”

NVCC is committed to partnerships with K-12 institutions throughout the 22-town service region in order to help foster better college preparedness and improve access for students. The College works closely with Waterbury Public Schools through the Bridge to College Office and the NVCC enrollment team travels to area middle and high schools to engage students in the college admissions process.