January 15th, 2026

Written by Inayah, a WRDSB secondary student

In September, the Horizons Leadership Conference featured a day of learning, inspiration, and collaboration. Run by leadership students at Waterloo Collegiate Institute (WCI), the event gathered leadership students from 11 Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) schools at Laurel Heights Secondary School.

Students from leadership classes, Student Activity Councils, and related clubs gathered at the conference with a shared mission to drive change in their schools. The event featured two motivational guest speakers in the morning. The first was a stunt performer and magician who shared valuable storytelling and lessons from his experiences. The second was a TEDx and international speaker who offered inspiring words on maintaining mental fitness.

Organizers offered interactive workshops and valuable networking opportunities in the afternoon, encouraging participants to connect with students from other schools.

Through the informative speakers, attendees learned about techniques for effective leadership and how they can demonstrate leadership in their schools. The interactive workshops and networking opportunities enabled students to practice what they learned from the speakers in a real-world scenario.

Overall, attendees at the Horizons Conference developed leadership, communication, and collaboration skills through real-world experiences. From the motivational speakers to the numerous networking opportunities, the experience fostered professional and personal growth within students and inspired participants to apply what they learned in their own schools.

#StudentVoice Series

This article is written by a WRDSB student. Student journalists embody WRDSB’s commitment to creating space for students to tell their stories. They are ambassadors for their peers as they share their personal experiences and stories about their schools and communities in their unique voices.