MINGO JUNCTION — Students at Indian Creek Middle School are signing up for organizations that not only will sharpen their leadership skills, but will teach them the importance of giving back. The middle school is continuing its involvement with the Leader in Me program, and will conduct its first Club Day at 8 a.m. Friday. Those taking part in the two-hour event will meet representatives and learn about the organizations for which they can sign up.

Principal Holly Minch-Hick explained the school will offer an arena-type signup where students will spend the first hour seeing what clubs they can sign up for. They will be given three choices.

“During the second hour, they will break out into groups,” Mich-Hick said. “The students can do something meaningful and create a product or do community service.”

Organizations for students to choose from, include media production, student ambassadors, Sunshine Club, Career Club, Necessities Club, Chess Club, Science Club, I.C. Marketing Business Club, technology assistants, future educators, Academic Leaders Club, Multi-Cultural Club, the Seven Habits Club, Drama Club, Art Club, Choir Club and Food Cart Club.

Minch-Hick stated the school’s building leadership team created ideas inspired by the Leader in Me program to help improve academics, culture and leadership. The Utah-based program is being implemented in all four schools within the district during the course of four years.

“The Leader in Me brings out leadership qualities in all of the students” Minch-Hick said. “Last year, we talked about bringing out those leadership qualities in our 520 students. I went to a program and learned about Club Days. Every month, we are going to run on a two-hour Club Day schedule to meet with the clubs.”

Leader in Me aims to create a high-trust environment in schools, build student achievement and improve learning, with practices based on educator Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Among the seven habits are setting goals to embracing teamwork and taking care of one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. Many schools that utilize the concept have shown increased test scores and positive behaviors, among other improvements, Minch-Hick concluded, saying there will be two more activities prior to the holiday breaks. The first will take place Nov. 26 and the second on Dec. 20.