Developing a Program on Leadership and Professional endeavor for Pre-university Students under the Early Admission Scheme

Abstract

The paper describes a 4-day psycho-educational program for pre-university students (aged between 17-19) under the Early Admission Scheme. The program is a character-based leadership training program, which aims at preparing students' transition from high school to university, with particular address to their high academic achievement, personal growth and life goals towards future. Experiential in nature, the program touched on themes of self-awareness, multiple intelligence and spiritual discovery through different kinds of expressive arts activities. The program consisted of 60 adolescents (aged 17-19 yrs) meeting 4 times within two consecutive weeks. To investigate the efficacy of the program, measures including hope, self-esteem and sense of coherence were taken at both the start and the end of the program. We discuss the program's effectiveness, and suggest implications for designing university adaptation programs in the local society in accordance with the favorable feedback regarding the training program from the participants.