Bid Process for Canadian Student Leadership Conference (CSLC)
A Canadian Student Leadership Association sponsored event
Submission of a Bid to Host a CSLC
The following information must be part of a submission package:
- Name of School District and Host School(s) and Conference Chair(s)
- Letters of endorsement from the district superintendent and the school principal
- Letter of intent from the hosting student activity advisor that outlines the essential conference information:
- Proposed dates, numbers, and rationale
- Outline of student involvement in conference organization
- Suggested conference theme and keynote speakers
- Possible student and advisor workshop topics
- Basic itinerary of activities including pre-conference tour
- Transportation to host site and during conference
- Hotel accommodations and rates
- Proposed list of local sponsors
The submission to host a Canadian Student Leadership Conference must be in writing and should be mailed directly to the executive director of CSLA by January 15, three and one half years in advance. A decision will be made at the CSLA Winter Board Meeting, and the hosting school will be contacted with the appropriate information to begin preparations. It is recommended that the principal of the hosting school attend the next CSLC and receive an orientation about the responsibilities of hosting a national conference.
Consideration for Hosting Sites:
The conference has been held in a variety of locations in the country to allow for maximum participation from schools across the nation. The priority for hosting, as reviewed in Kamloops (1998), will be given on the following basis:
- Central Canada (Ontario, Quebec)
- Western Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
- Eastern Canada (New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador)
An additional factor that will be considered will be to award the bid to new locations in the provinces. For example, Edmonton hosted CSLC ’96 and should not host another one for some time (15 years, perhaps) if there are other locations willing to host.
CSLC Planning Guide
In the early years of CSLC planning, the host for the next year's conference was decided in the last days of the present conference. This meant that some people hosted the national conference because it was "their turn to throw the party" so to speak. These individuals returned home to inform their principal that, "We're hosting the national leadership conference next year." It was a challenging process, but the conference has grown substantially since those early years.
The national conference has now grown to a three-year pre-planning cycle because of the scope and quality of the conference. This does not mean that small communities no longer have the resources or facilities to host the national conference. It does mean, however, that you require the support of your school administration, your school system and individuals willing to stay in the loop for the four-year commitment.
The CSLC Planning Guide is available for you to download here.
Planning a Provincial Leadership Conference
The tradition in most provinces is that a single school or local school group hosts the provincial leadership conference. (A notable exception is the New Brunswick provincial which has been hosted at the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, NB)
Provincial conferences are an excellent opportunity for your students to put their leadership skills to the test in real world situation. A well-run provincial conference will revitalize your program and energize your students.
The BC association of activity advisors (BCASAA) has an excellent planning manual for their provincial conference. You can download it here and adapt it for your own situation. Thank you to Gloria Solley and the BC advisors for their work in putting this together.
A listing of the upcoming provincial leadership conferences in Canada is available here.