The 2025 Foothills Council Student Leadership Summit welcomed student leaders and principals from school districts across the Foothills Council for a day focused on leadership development, collaboration, and self-reflection, hosted at Schuylerville High School. The summit brought together students from different communities to learn from experienced presenters while engaging in hands-on, interactive challenges designed to push their thinking about what it truly means to lead.
The day began with Jason Spector, who presented Engaging Leadership: The Inside-Out Approach to Leading Others. Spector encouraged students to reflect on their own values, strengths, and decision-making styles, emphasizing that effective leadership starts with understanding oneself before attempting to influence others.
Students then transitioned into an interactive leadership challenge, where teams were given just seven minutes to build the tallest free-standing tower possible, using limited materials and placing a marshmallow on top. The activity tested communication, problem-solving, and adaptability under pressure. The final three minutes were dedicated to a rapid team reflection, prompting students to consider what strategies worked, what did not, and who naturally stepped into leadership roles during the challenge.
Another highlight of the summit was Queensbury High School’s session, Knowing Thyself: The Science of Brain Typing, which challenged students to rethink leadership through communication styles and cognitive strengths. In one exercise, groups were asked to answer the question, “What makes a great leader?”—but they had to plan their response entirely in silence. Without speaking, whispering, or mouthing words, students relied on gestures, writing, eye contact, and quick sketches to collaborate. The activity emphasized nonverbal leadership, clarity of ideas, and efficient teamwork.
After three minutes of silent planning, groups were allowed to speak and given time to craft a one-minute speech based on their nonverbal collaboration. Each group divided responsibilities among speakers, including a hook, key point, example, and call to action, before delivering their speeches with an emphasis on confident openings, clear pacing, eye contact, and smooth transitions.
“One takeaway I had from the event, is that leaders don’t have to be extroverts, they can be introverts,” said Schuylerville senior Arden Talmage. “You can be a role model to someone without having extroverted qualities, which is good to know for a lot of people.”
The summit concluded with Frank Winters of Scotia-Glenville, who presented The 10 Little Rules for Sharing Your Story. Winters focused on the power of storytelling in leadership, encouraging students to use authenticity and personal experience to connect with others and inspire positive change.
“We had a lot of talented and well-spoken speakers,” said senior Isabella Buettner. “For younger students next year, I’d say don’t be scared to participate in this summit. Meeting people from different schools can feel intimidating, but everyone is willing to talk and collaborate, and that’s one of the best parts.”