Student Leadership Speaker for Schools “Leading Together & Building Community”
Because when students see themselves as leaders, everything changes—school culture, peer relationships, and the way they handle challenges.
Why This Presentation?
“Leading Together: Building Community and Driving Change at School” is an interactive student leadership presentation for middle and high school students led by internationally recognized youth leadership speaker & “edutainer” Robert Hackenson Jr. Robert believes an effective presentation needs to have a great message, practical and relatable tips, and be captivating. With attention spans shrinking, if a speaker is boring then the students are listening to the important messages.
This high-energy student leadership assembly is infused with audience participation, magic, illusions, and real mind tricks that are designed to engage and educate. The lessons during this presentation will empower your students to lead with integrity, build stronger communities, and create real, positive change in their school.
As seen/heard on:
What This Student Leadership Presentation Is All About
Today’s students are under pressure from academics, activities, social media, and peer expectations. Many want to lead, but aren’t sure how.
This youth leadership program gives them practical tools to:
- Set meaningful goals and follow through
- Inspire others by example, not ego
- Navigate real-world challenges and setbacks
- Resolve conflict in healthy, effective ways
Instead of a long lecture, students experience magic, illusions, humor, and audience participation that bring each leadership lesson to life. The result? A leadership assembly students actually remember—and talk about.
Learning Outcomes: Skills Students Can Use Right Away
By the end of this student leadership assembly, and online curriculum your students will be able to:
1. Goal Setting & Follow Through
Students learn how to:
- Set clear, realistic and ambitious goals
- Break big goals into daily actions
- Build habits and routines that keep them on track
- Stay motivated when things get hard or plans change
These skills are essential for both middle school and high school leadership programs and translate to academics, sports, clubs, and life beyond school.
2. Inspiring Others the Right Way
Leadership isn’t about a title—it’s about influence. Students discover:
- The difference between being “in charge” and being a true leader
- How to lead by example in the classroom, on teams, and online
- Ways to include others, listen, and amplify different voices
- How to use social media and peer influence for positive change
This helps build a more inclusive and positive school culture where more students feel like they belong.
3. Common Challenges Leaders Face
Every student leader faces obstacles. In this school leadership workshop, Robert covers:
- Balancing leadership roles with school, sports, and activities
- Handling criticism, gossip, and negativity
- Managing stress and self-doubt
- Owning mistakes and learning from them
Using real-world stories and illusions, students see that leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being persistent and accountable.
4. Working Through Conflict Effectively
Conflict is unavoidable; how students handle it is what matters. This session explores:
- Why conflict happens in friend groups, teams, and student organizations
- How to pause instead of react emotionally
- Simple phrases and strategies to de-escalate situations
- When to seek help from an adult or trusted peer
Students walk away with practical conflict resolution skills they can use the same day—in hallways, group chats, and at home.
Tailored to Audience
This student leadership presentation has tailored versions for:
- Middle School: Focus on foundational leadership skills, kindness, inclusion, and discovering their leadership potential.
- High School: Emphasis on character, responsibility, real-world decision making, preparing for college/careers, and leaving a legacy at school.
You can schedule a single assembly or separate sessions for each age group to maximize impact.
About Leadership Speaker Robert Hackenson Jr.
Robert Hackenson Jr. is an internationally recognized youth motivational and student leadership speaker known for combining magic, illusions, and meaningful messages to create “edutaining” (educational + entertaining) school assemblies. dynamicinfluence.com
He has spoken at:
- Middle and high schools across the United States and internationally
- Student leadership conferences and youth organizations
- Parent nights and educator professional development events
Robert’s mission is simple: help students lead with integrity, empathy, and courage—online, at school, and in their communities.
Designed for Educational Alignment
Ideal For
Adaptable Format
This student leadership presentation can support:
- Building a more positive, inclusive school climate
- Supporting PBIS, SEL, and character education initiatives
- Strengthening student voice and shared responsibility
- Reducing drama, conflict, and negative peer pressure
- Helping students connect leadership to service and community impact
If your school is working to improve culture, behavior, and student engagement, “Leading Together” is a powerful, high-impact piece of that puzzle.
This youth leadership program is a great fit for:
- Student council and student government
- National Honor Society & leadership clubs
- School-wide assemblies
- Freshman orientation or transition programs
- Captains of sports teams and club leaders
- Peer mentoring and ambassador programs
Whether your goal is to launch a new student leadership initiative or to strengthen existing student leaders, this presentation provides a powerful jump-start.
Length:
- Standard: 45–60 minutes
- Can be adjusted to fit your school schedule or conference block
Format Options:
- In-person school assembly
- Conference keynote or breakout session
- Virtual presentation (live) for hybrid or multi-school events
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Who is this student leadership presentation designed for?
A: The program has versions for both middle school and high school students. It’s ideal for student leaders, student council, captains, club leaders, and any students you want to empower as positive role models.
Q: How is this different from a typical school assembly?
A: Robert uses magic, illusions, humor, and audience participation to teach leadership skills. Students are actively involved, not just listening, which keeps engagement high and helps messages stick.
Q: Can this work as part of our broader student leadership program?
A: Yes. Many schools use this student leadership assembly as a kickoff or anchor event for ongoing leadership classes, advisory programs, or student government initiatives.
Q: Do you offer virtual options?
A: Yes. The presentation can be delivered live via a virtual platform, making it easy to involve multiple schools or remote students.
Q: How long is the presentation?
A: The standard length is 45–60 minutes, but it can be adjusted to fit your bell schedule, assembly time, or conference blocks.
Includes 1 Year Access to Curriculum for FREE!
The learning doesn’t have to stop after the assembly. Along with each vaping awareness school assembly presentation, your school will get access to the vaping awareness curriculum for 1 calendar year for FREE through our online portal. This curriculum includes videos, class discussion questions, and class activities and/or assignments that goes along with the vaping presentation. This keeps the learning going far beyond the presentation and reinforces the important lessons.
Flat Day Rate Pricing Option
The flat day rate offers up to 4 presentations within 24 hours for 1 flat rate. These presentations can be on different topics, for different grades, at different schools, and can include a parent/community night. This allows schools to work together and maximize budgets and resources.
Helpful Resources
