Senior Instructional Leadership Corps (SILC)

Gourmet Class
"I loved doing this program and would do it again in a heartbeat…this course has not only changed me but also gave me an experience I will always remember." Self Evaluation by a SILC student

  • The Senior Instructional Leadership Corps (SILC) is designed to extend the premise of the Senior Helper program into the classroom by offering qualified seniors the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities associated with classroom instruction. Students in SILC will engage in leadership development through multi-purpose mentor relationships with teachers. Students are mentored by a cooperating teacher and serve as mentors to other students in the classroom. Participants work in a classroom with a mentoring teacher regularly each week, assist in whatever curricular activities the teacher considers appropriate, and track their experiences in a variety of ways. Regular seminar meetings with the SILC coordinators and mentor teachers utilize discussion, readings about teaching and education, and a final self-assessment of the SILC experience to complement students' in-class work. Approximately four seminar meetings are held during September and October. Mentor teachers, SILC students and coordinators collaboratively determine the nature of the work and how the students' learning will be evaluated.

    Details to note about the SILC Program:

    • The SILC applicant finds a teacher with whom to work.  The class in which they SILC is a class that they have taken before.  You can not be a SILC for a class in which you are enrolled for credit.
    • SILC is a volunteer program. There is no academic credit for the program, though your attendance is expected in the class you SILC as if it were one of your classes.  You make a commitment.
    • SILCs are placed at the end of the scheduling process.  After your academic course requests have been met, ideally your free period aligns with one of the periods in which the teacher with whom you want to work teaches the desired class.  If not, in conjunction with your adviser we make efforts to change your class schedule to accommodate the program, but there are times when this just is not possible.  You should follow all instructions about placement after application; you may be asked to reapply in the fall if you are not placed with a desired class in the Spring.

    You can find information about applying to be a SILC for 2023-2024 HERE.  If you have questions, please contact Dr. Aileen Heidkamp at heidkama@nths.net