How a leadership curriculum can transform your student leaders
- Michael Walter
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Leadership is more than a badge
Many schools offer leadership workshops or camps, but when students step into formal roles in Year 12, they often lack the confidence and skills to thrive. At Yellow Arrow, we heard this feedback repeatedly: students were eager but unprepared. So we asked, what if leadership development wasn’t an add-on, but part of the curriculum?
That question led to the creation of Project Santiago, a flexible, curriculum-based leadership program for Years 9 and 10. It’s designed to help students grow into capable, authentic leaders over time, not overnight.
Our new video (see below) captures the heart of this approach, showcasing a class from Clonard College who’ve recently completed the curriculum.
Leadership is caught, not taught
Project Santiago is built on the belief that leadership is best learned through experience. Each lesson begins with an activity, led by students themselves, to help them practise skills like teamwork, communication and problem-solving.
One student shared, "It just taught me a lot of things like public speaking and presentation making and how to speak kind of on the spot. There were several games that helped with that."
Another reflected, "It was just such a good environment to be around, to know that you can be a leader like anyone can be."
These experiences help students see leadership as something they can embody in their own way, not just a role for the loudest voice in the room.
Embedding leadership into the curriculum
By offering leadership as a subject, schools can reach a broader range of students, not just the ones who already see themselves as leaders. This approach allows students to explore their leadership style, build confidence and develop practical skills over time.
As Felicity Neeson (Director of Yellow Arrow Leadership) notes, "The good thing about offering our curriculums as a subject is that it widens the pool of students who have the opportunity to develop as leaders. You can impact the school more broadly."
Embedding leadership into the curriculum also means it doesn't compete with other commitments. As Felicity continues, "What if we created a way that they could embed that leadership learning into the curriculum, so it wasn't taking any extra time, and it was something that could be done as a subject?"
Flexible and easy to implement
We understand that teachers are busy, so we've designed Project Santiago to be as accessible as possible. The program is housed on an online platform, with resources that can be accessed on various devices.
As Kate Connor (the teacher who lead the curriculum at Clonard College) shared, "They've got the resources you need, there's links to videos, there's details on what the activity entails. I found it unbelievably easy."
The lesson plans are adaptable, so if it doesn't quite fit into your timetable, we can work with you. As Kate mentioned, "All the documents were easily edited, but also really easy for the students to follow if you just use them as they were."
Real impact on students
The transformation in students is evident. They move from being hesitant to taking initiative, collaborating effectively and stepping into leadership roles with confidence.
As Kate observed, "They've come a long way from coming into a classroom, not even looking at each other, heads down to now, a lot of them are going into the student council, making change."
Another student reflected, "I learnt how to present myself to others. I learnt how to speak properly."
These changes not only benefit the students but also enrich the school community as a whole.
Ready to embed leadership in your school?
If you're looking to develop confident, capable student leaders, consider integrating Project Santiago into your curriculum. It's a flexible, accessible program designed to support both students and educators.
To learn more and see the program in action, watch our new video:
If you’d like to explore how our curriculum might work at your school, reach out or visit Project Santiago.
About Yellow Arrow Leadership
At Yellow Arrow, we work alongside schools to grow confident, capable young leaders. Through engaging workshops and curriculum-aligned programs, we help students build real-world leadership skills while supporting teachers with practical tools and resources. Think of us as your partners in leadership, bringing energy, structure, and heart to student development. Interested in seeing what’s possible? Explore our services to learn more.
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