Leadership Workshop, established at Ocean Lakes in 1995, is a way for students to improve their leadership skills and meet new people.
“I thought Leadership Workshop was extremely fun. The pure energy and joy from everyone there is impeccable and isn’t like anything you’ll get anywhere else,” sophomore Zak Kain-Kuzniewski said, who has attended LW for the past two years.
Leadership Workshop is a tradition many remember as core Dolphin memories, including Zak. The workshop took place from Feb. 28 to March 2, 2025.
“We decided that we wanted to try out a new location,” Leadership Workshop adviser and teacher Christina Barnhart said.
This year’s workshop took place at 4-H Wakefield in Sussex County, Va.
At Leadership Workshop, attending students are called delegates, and they gather into six different councils to participate in various activities and challenges.
“Councils compete throughout the weekend and are given awards, ranging from Teamwork, Spirit and Sportsmanship and Teacher’s Choice,” Barnhart said.
The workshop focuses on improving leadership and social skills.
“I strongly believe that attending Leadership Workshop will help improve my leadership skills, and my friends who were there last year came back as better and stronger individuals,” sophomore Sam Pili said prior to attending.
It requires an application for acceptance, and Sam was accepted this year despite being rejected last year.
“My application was a bit plain last year, as I did not have many extracurricular activities and did not write a very persuasive essay, so that is what I improved on this year,” Sam said.
This year’s theme was mosaic artists, and group names were inspired by the theme, including Ghiberti, Broca, Hirai, Zagar, Novero and Chagall.
Although delegates spend most of the time with their council, they get time each day to connect with friends from other councils and summarize their experiences.
“I loved to reconvene with my friends after each day and tell them about all the memories and friends that I made,” Zak said.
Overall, Barnhart believes that Leadership Workshop is an amazing opportunity for students to gain various skills.
“Students attend Leadership Workshop to gain essential leadership skills such as skill development, confidence building, personal growth, motivation and inspiration,” Barnhart said.
