Student Leadership University is a proud partner with ACSI to provide training for the 2008 Student Leadership Conference. While ACSI is confident in our program we felt it important to let you read some testimonials from past participants in SLU's Leadership Training program(Now entering its 13th year). We want to partner with your school to train the next generation of Leaders for the Kingdom of God.

 

Your Student Leadership Conference provides the most outstanding training I have ever experienced. As an Assistant Principal of 10 years, I have received lots of training. The sessions at Student Leadership University  far exceed any other training I have ever obtained. I heard you reinforce our family values to my daughter. It’s so nice for youngsters to hear such values from someone other than their parents. She and I look forward to more in the future. Thank you SLU for your Christian interest in today’s youth.
 
Pam Smith
Assistant Principal
Hazelhurst, Georgia

 

As Christian educators, we hold a very powerful weapon in our hands.  We have the ability to daily influence the hearts and minds of our students to live a passionate, purpose-filled life that will exalt and expand the Kingdom of God.  This is accomplished by training them to be intellectual thinkers in the post-modern era and then putting them in leadership roles. Student Leadership University has been the #1 resource for us in achieving this goal.  Through SLU, our students have been taught by some of the most influential speakers in the country. In July 2005, our students came back from SLU with an overwhelming hunger for change, in our community and the world.  Our staff has had to work extremely hard to keep up with the thirst for knowledge with which our students have returned.  Student Leadership University is not a retreat or typical leadership conference; it is, by nature, a challenge to students to take the position of not just existing in a culture but engaging it and transforming it, based upon Biblical principles. I would strongly insist all Christian schools to consider sending their students to Student Leadership University. It challenges students to find their calling from God and to go out and change the world. Personally, I cannot wait to see what else God is going to do in the lives of my students, who were inspired by having the opportunity to attend Student Leadership University.
 
Gerald Porter
Christian School Administrator

 

We just returned from SLU  extremely tired, but totally jazzed about the future! What an incredible week of learning, inspiration, and motivation to reach for more! We were somewhat hesitant about making the trip clear across the country, and not sure about what we were about to take part in. We are so glad we made the trip and look forward to sending more youth next year. Our 12 year old son Ben looks forward to his turn at SLU, and Krystin is very eager about attending your next level, and is already looking at ideas of how to raise the $ to go! Thank-you for all the help you have given to our daughter, and the inspiration it has given to her to reach for goals that she sets, and to not allow the negative sharks to take away her dreams! "Eat the big frog first", the " Law of the Lawn chair" and "Leaders are Readers" have forever changed her outlook on life, and what it has to offer. We completely and totally support what you are doing to encourage the youth of today, who will be the leaders of tomorrow. May God continue to bless your ministry, and grow it beyond your wildest expectations!
 
Thomas
Kamloops, B.C. Canada

 

Student Leadership University has empowered me to look to God for direction, instruction, and discipline in my life. Through the innovative teaching and powerful Biblical Principles that SLU provides, I am encouraged to dream big and know that with God, "All things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). SLU has trained me to see my life as God sees it: a life without barriers. Reaching towards the untapped potential inside of me, I can look to the Lord to use me in any way that He sees fit: and this is an exciting journey! SLU has challenged me to become a godly, disciplined, innovative, and responsible man, knowing that I, like any other Christian, is a "world-changer." If a parent had to choose an experience for their students, I would recommend SLU. If a student had to choose a "must" for a life-experience, then SLU is it.
 
Heath Thomas
Doctoral Student at Oxford

 

After attending Student Leadership University, both of my daughters came back fully engaged in growing as a leader. Their eyes were open to the fact that leadership is a whole different dimension that they need to grow in in order to be influencers of their world. Student Leadership University prepares them to do just that.
  
Ron Luce

 

My vision was to bring a handful to senior guys to test the waters for a strategic partnership between SLU and CHS. I thought I was bringing them, but I am afraid they were bringing me. I was blessed, convicted, and encouraged in three major areas of my own life: personal integrity , spiritual growth (reading - I am on my fourth book since Orlando), and professional growth (swallow the big frog - I have procrastinated for a year on a vital issue). Anyway this is simply a brief note to say thanks! Your leadership in opening this door of opportunity to Christian Schools is greatly appreciated. I really believe it is a vital piece of the puzzle. Please know how much those of us in the Christian School world are grateful for this leadership.
 
Renny Scott
Headmaster
Christian Heritage School
Dalton GA

 

As a parent, we all think our children are special and I am no exception. But I wanted you to know the difference that SLU made in my son Jarrod’s college application. Jarrod has done well in high school with a weighted GPA of 4.0 plus. He applied at a University and was accepted. Apparently this is a difficult school to get into. Several of his friends applied and didn’t make it. Some had higher GPA’s, more involved in school activities, etc. I was thinking to myself, why Jarrod would be picked above these other candidates. SLU. Jarrod mentioned in his application of his experiences with SLU. Visiting Washington DC, traveling Abroad and what he had learned. The only difference between his and the next persons applications was SLU. I just wanted to let you know this and say “Thanks”.
  
Dwayne Prater

 

From the moment I sat in my chair at SLU in Orlando. I knew that the conference was different than any other I had attended. Pitchers of ice water and sparkling glasses lay evenly spread along the neat, orderly tables, which were draped with red clothe. When we checked into the hotel, we found ourselves walking side by side with what seemed to be high-class business executives and CEOs, clad is suits and armed with briefcases. Already we had been treated like leaders of high respect. Within the first few minutes of the welcoming message I easily discerned that the caliber of facilitators and speakers I would be dealing with for the next four days would be unlike any I had ever experienced. “Founder and President of Student Leadership University, editor of three Bible translations, published author, speaker to over 15 million people in 22 countries, 10,000 high schools, and 100 universities...”- the list of qualifications were endless. Never before that time had I listened to someone so passionate about building leaders out of the next generation…
 
Robert Miller

 

I just noted in my planner to e-mail you all today about how the organization part (Franklin Covey) has impacted our lives. I know for me personally it is great to have an organized day, but even greater is seeing how my students are almost all using there planners. The week was definitely a huge success for our ministry and will continue to be part of our strategy to challenge our students to be leaders. Thank you for all your work. The ten we brought have all committed to raise the money personally to attend the next level, and have challenged me to find 10 more to start the process next summer.
 
Tony Hevener
Youth Pastor
EDGE Student Ministries/PSBBC

 

“The students have just taken over…” was how the youth pastor described his experience after returning from the first time taking students to SLU.  He then went on to tell the story about one young man in particular. He’d felt the Lord leading him to take 20 students.  His 20th pick was a young man that no-one thought should go including the young man himself.  Even his parents questioned the youth pastor’s selection.  The young man had been involved in every wrong thing a student in high school can do.  After arriving the student looked at the youth pastor and said, “I don’t belong here.”  An amazing transformation however fell upon this young man’s life.  Since then the following things have come true.  Upon returning home, he went to his parents and confessed everything he had been involved in and asked their forgiveness.  He committed his life to service for the Lord.  Within a week, he had led 5 of his drug friends to Christ.  He swore off involvement with the ladies so he’d have more time to devote to Christ.  The 19 students who came with him together have all completed a speed reading course and many have sworn off television and dating to devote themselves to greater study and reading.  They’ve taken over the Wednesday evening youth worship service and have grown from 60 to over 120.  They ran out of space to meet and moved into the local theatre.  This young man has already preached 5 messages at those services and intends to do more.  The youth pastor has said, “I’m just staying out of their way!”  This group has also taken over their high school Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. It has grown from 16 to over 60 attendees.  The 5 students meeting for a breakfast accountability group has become 2 groups of 30 each.  Even the local police department has reported a decrease in drug incidents and teen crime.  When the young man was complimented about what he and the other 19 SLU students were doing for their church, their school and their city, his response was, “It’s not me man, it’s Jesus.”  I asked the youth pastor what significant parts of SLU had the most impact.  He said it was different for everyone.  But Dr. Jay’s challenge to accomplish the supernatural, that leaders are readers and that Christianity is dynamic and not passive were the key factors in transforming his youth group, his church and now his city. At SLU we joke about our goal being simple, “We just want to take over the world… with an army of young champions for Christ.” It’s not joke, it’s reality in one small town in Georgia.