(06/29/2023) University Avenue Elementary - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science (UAE ACES) continues to perform at a high level and has now been certified as a national Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education. With this distinction, UAE ACES has become one of two schools in Minnesota to earn this status. 

With Leader in Me, students learn to become self-aware, interdependent, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, be considerate of others, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, live a balanced life, and contribute to society.

For perspective, of the more than 5000 schools in 50 nations that have adopted the Leader in Me process, 650 have achieved the prestigious Lighthouse Certification. 

FranklinCovey Education has designed the Lighthouse Rubric to establish high standards for quality and, ultimately, school outcomes. Schools use the Lighthouse Rubric to measure outcomes in three areas: teaching leadership principles, creating a leadership culture, and aligning academic systems. Schools also measure their success as it relates to their unique school. Lighthouse Schools serve as exemplars to their community and to other schools. 

The Lighthouse Certification is earned by schools that demonstrate the following:

• The principal, school administration, and staff engage in ongoing learning and develop as leaders, while championing leadership for the school.
• Leadership principles are effectively taught to all students through direct lessons, integrated approaches, and staff modeling. Students are able to think critically about, and apply, leadership principles.
• Families and the school partner together in learning about The 7 Habits and leadership principles through effective communication and mutual respect.
• The school community is able to see leadership in the physical environment, hear leadership through a common language, and feel leadership through a culture of caring, relationships, and affirmation. 
• Leadership is shared with students through a variety of leadership roles. Student voice leads to innovations within the school.
• Schoolwide, classroom, family, and community leadership events provide authentic environments to celebrate leadership, build culture, and allow students to practice leadership skills.
• The school utilizes the 4DX® process (The 4 Disciplines of Execution) to identify and track progress toward Wildly Important Goals® (WIGs) for the school, classroom, and staff.
• Students lead their own learning with the skills to assess their needs, set appropriate goals, and carry out action plans. They track progress toward goals in Leadership Notebooks and share these notebooks with adults in Student-Led Conferences.
• Teacher planning and reflection, trusting relationships, and student-led learning combine to create environments for highly engaged learning.

At the core of the Leader in Me model is the belief that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader. Teachers and staff learn key concepts and integrate them into existing systems. 

For more information on the model that has been implemented in more than 6,000 schools and in more than 50 countries, visit www.leaderinme.org.