Scholar Profiles
Barrett Keene
2003 - 2004 University Scholar
Mentor: Rick Rudd
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
"My USP project allows me to explore the actual effectiveness of the leadership conferences I have been leading for years. I hope to learn what approaches and techniques are most effective in fostering student growth and my mentor, Dr. Rudd, models the leadership I hope to achieve."
Barrett is a junior majoring in agricultural education. He is a vice president of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Student Council, as well as a student ambassador for the college. He is also a member of the UF Student Senate and is undergraduate president of Alpha Tau Alpha honors fraternity. During the summer of 2003, Barrett interned in Costa Rica and Panama, where he visited with elementary school students to teach them the importance of protecting natural resources.
Research Description:
Leadership Assessment
Over the past seven years of my life I have
attended, developed, and presented somewhere between fifty and
sixty leadership conferences. Each of these conferences have
had three underlying objectives. The first was an overall quality
experience. The second was cognitive development. Finally, the
third objective was that students change their behavior in a
positive way.
When considering how my passions and experiences could be used
in the area of research, I decided to attempt to understand
what pieces of a leadership conference led to the accomplishment
of these three goals.
This spring I developed with the guidance of my mentor and other
supporters the curriculum for a four-day leadership conference
for 125 middle and high school students. Through the use of
two separate pre-tests and post-tests, we are able to measure
effectiveness in both the area of cognitive development and
behavioral change in each of the seven leadership areas that
were taught. These subjects are:
1. Character
2. Strengths assessment and gameplan
3. Purpose statement and goals
4. Obstacles and the commitment needed to overcome them
5. Communication
6. Teamwork
7. Making an impact, not just an impression
The first objective is measured through the use of a general evaluation where students provide both negative and positive feedback.
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