Educators Rising Members Excel at Chapter Officer Leadership Academy
Launch the media gallery 1 playerStudents from Plainview High School's Educators Rising chapter recently participated in the Chapter Officer Leadership Academy (COLA), a comprehensive virtual training event held on Monday, September 8, 2025. The day-long program provided student leaders with essential skills and networking opportunities to enhance their leadership capabilities for the upcoming school year. Attending from Plainview were Landon Hergert, President, and Ashlyn Forbes, Vice-President, and Teacher Leader Ronita Jacobsen.
The COLA event, which ran from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM CDT, featured a structured schedule designed to equip chapter officers with effective leadership tools. Students began with an energizing Opening Session that included chapter roll call, interactive icebreaker activities, door prize opportunities, and an overview of expectations for the 2025-26 Educators Rising year. During mid-morning breakout sessions, Plainview students strategically divided into small groups to attend sessions aligned with their leadership goals and chapter needs. Available sessions included: "Starting with Awards in Mind: Planning for the Year" - focusing on setting ambitious goals from the beginning; "Recruit, Retain, Recognize Your Way to Growth" - emphasizing membership expansion and student engagement; "Leadership Opportunities: Chapter, State, & Beyond" - exploring continued leadership development pathways; and "Teacher Leader Q&A" - providing direct access to experienced educators and mentors.
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Next, an innovative Fast Track session was held which allowed students to attend two concentrated 15-minute sessions, maximizing learning opportunities across multiple topics. First Rotation Topics were Supporting first-year members effectively, Social media strategies for chapter promotion, Professional dress and leadership presence, and Supporting competitive event participants. Second Rotation Topics were Monthly recognition strategies to celebrate achievements, Fundraising techniques and financial management, Connecting chapter projects to competitive events, and Implementing positive change within the organization
The afternoon featured independent chapter planning time, where officers worked collaboratively using materials provided by Educators Rising State Lleadership. This productive session included personality assessments to understand team dynamics, vision setting exercises, chapter activity brainstorming, SMART goal development, comprehensive Program of Work creation, event calendar planning, and awards recognition training.
According to Ronita Jacobsen, Teacher Leader at Plainview High School, the participating officers returned from COLA with enhanced leadership skills, practical strategies, and a clear vision for the school year ahead. "The leadership skills and planning tools they gained will benefit not only our Educators Rising chapter but our entire school community," Jacobsen noted.
The advisor expressed pride in Hergert and Forbes for their dedication to leadership development and their commitment to representing Plainview High School with excellence. Their participation in COLA demonstrates the high caliber of students in the school's Educators Rising program. “They have great ideas for projects this year and some are already being planned.They would love to collaborate with other organizations to make them a success.”
The newly trained officers are expected to implement their acquired skills through upcoming Educators Rising events and activities throughout the school year, contributing to what promises to be the chapter's most successful year yet. “They have great ideas for projects this year with some are already being planned.They would love to collaborate with other organizations to make them a success.” Jacobsen added.
For more information about Plainview High School's Educators Rising chapter or membership opportunities, contact Ronita Jacobsen. Educators Rising is a career and technical student organization that helps ensure students interested in a career in education have the experience and skills they need to be ready for the classroom. The mission of Educators Rising is to create a new generation of highly skilled educators by guiding. Young people on a path from high school through college and into their teaching careers.