Academy of Innovation recertified as Leader in Me Lighthouse School by Franklin Covey

Vicksburg, Miss. — The Vicksburg Warren School District is celebrating the recertification of the Academy of Innovation as a Lighthouse School, a highly-regarded standard set by Franklin Covey for the school’s implementation of the Leader In Me (LiM) initiative. In their review, FranklinCovey noted that “Lighthouse Schools are extraordinary examples for other schools to follow. As such, they should be places anyone the world over could visit to learn about and be inspired by the strength of the leadership model.”

In March 2019, the Academy of Innovation was the first middle school in Mississippi to earn this prestigious designation and one of fewer than twenty middle-schools in the world to be certified. The AOI was specifically commended in their recent review for teaching leadership principles to students, families and staff; creating a leadership culture where all students feel welcome and included, and aligning academic systems through the use of Leadership Portfolios to set and track personal and academic goals.

AOI Principal, Dr. Jason McKellar, said, “I am not surprised that we were recertified as a Lighthouse School. The students and staff at our school have openly embraced the 7 Habits and the framework of Leader in Me as our operating system. We have incorporated the timeless principles of Leader in Me in our everyday operations to the point that they have become the norm.”

Leader in Me is based on Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and is a framework that helps schools achieve results by influencing behaviors and paradigms. More than just another program, Leader in Me serves as the foundational operating system that integrates seamlessly into each school’s unique priorities, initiatives, and culture. When implemented with excellence, Leader in Me redefines what it means to be a high performing school in the 21st century. This new definition of school greatness is represented in three overlapping areas: leadership, culture, and academics.

Superintendent Chad Shealy said, “Leader In Me has provided a sound foundation on which to build. It has given our students access to important leadership skills that they can apply to any situation they encounter on their life’s path. I am proud of the work that the AOI leadership, staff, students and parents have done to maintain their Lighthouse Status. They have done an amazing job.”

The Academy of Innovation has been recertified for two years and will participate in another view in the spring/summer of 2023. You can read more about the rigorous Lighthouse Certification review and the areas that are considered by clicking here.