Where does inspiration come from to plan events and assemblies that engage students and provide a positive school climate and how are these events kept fresh and relevant each year?

Jennifer Van De Wege, teacher and leadership class advisor, is a specialist in planning student activities for Sequim High School. To search for new and effective ways to connect students on campus, she attends conferences each year. For her continued efforts, Van De Wege recently completed Master Activity Advisor certification from the California Association of Directors of Activities.

Only about 60 individuals across the country have completed the program and Van De Wege is the first in Washington.

The California Association of Directors of Activities offers a set of skills and professionalism to high school activity coordinators from the United States and Canada. It takes attending at least four conferences to complete the entire program.

The final requirement for certification is completion of a culminating project. For her final project, Van De Wege chose to implement senior recognition, a new leadership program for the high school. Senior recognition brings the student body together in an assembly to celebrate accomplishments of senior students designated by the teaching staff.

“Pursuing this certification was an opportunity for me to support the work of the leadership students at the high school,” Van De Wege said.

“I love bringing new ideas back to share with my students and watching the incredible ways they bring them to life on our campus.”

Superintendent Bill Bentley noted, “Having an engaged student body involved in these activities at the school campus has a positive impact on the learning environment.”

Sequim High School Principal Shawn Langston said students at the school already have benefited from Van De Wege’s training.

“We know the process took several years to complete and we are impressed with her dedication to the program,” Langston said. “She spends countless hours outside the school day guiding and mentoring our students and building student-leaders in the process. Jennifer is quite simply the finest ASB Advisor/Leadership instructor that I’ve had the pleasure to work with in my entire educational career.”