ADAMS TWP — The inaugural Mars Summer Leadership Academy was a ringing success, and will be continued in the future.

That’s the word from Mars High School teacher Darcy Silbaugh, who led the academy for one week in late June at the high school along with district Assistant Superintendent Matt Friedman, high school Principal Dale Sleva, and high school guidance counselor Tina Yankello.

“The students did a phenomenal job,” Silbaugh said. “Everyone was pleased with how it went this year.”

The project invited students in grades nine through 12 to develop their own unique leadership skills through a series of hands-on and team-building activities, group projects, and experimental learning strategies meant to increase students’ self-confidence and enhance their ability to serve in leadership roles.

At the end of the week, each of the 15 students created an individual leadership plan that included a personal mission statement and an evaluation of their core values and principles.

Silbaugh said the group worked with Slippery Rock University in completing a rope course that required equal measures of listening, cooperation and leadership skills.

“The kids loved it,” she said.

The rest of the week was spent completing various team-building activities and discussing the students’ unique leadership abilities, Silbaugh said.

“We stressed ‘Who you are is how you lead,’” she said.

She said the adults leading the program met individually with each student on the last day to discuss how the students will use the information they learned during the week as they move forward.

“We gave them the foundation, and now they go and act,” Silbaugh said. “They all walked away with 14 new friends, and with a new confidence. It was really cool to watch that happen.”

Alyssa Murtagh, who will be a junior at Mars High this year, said she signed up to learn more about the scope of a leader, to learn leadership skills, and to meet new people.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be someone who others could look up to,” Alyssa said.

She said she and the other students had fun participating in the group activities and team-building exercises.

“We did a lot of team activities that helped us get to know each other and enabled each team member to use the skills they have,” said Alyssa.

Her favorite activity was the “human knot,” in which students cross their arms then join hands to form a circle. They must then use teamwork to uncross their arms and form a regular circle without letting go of one another’s hands.

“It required a lot of teamwork because you had to direct people, but also listen,” Alyssa said.

She said the week’s activities taught her to know when it’s important to lead or to follow, to be patient, and the importance of helping people along the way in life.

“(The school district) should definitely keep it up,” Alyssa said of the academy. “It gives kids more confidence knowing their skill sets, and it will also help in the classroom in group projects and kids working together.”

Silbaugh said Mars may even expand the Summer Leadership Academy next year to include a second phase for those who completed the program this year.

“The kids all took different things away, but they all got the idea that their personalities will dictate what type of leaders they will be.”