Future leaders are in training at St. Mary's Grade School.

"As the younger generation is stepping up, leadership is a surreal thing to young folks," Principal Gyn Marback said.

The school is starting different programs to make leadership a tangible concept.

"It was suggested about a year and a half ago by a parent, who wanted to do something different with leadership and student leadership," she said.

It started with the teachers training in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and is culminating with a school congress. The students and administrators will create projects to help other people. There will be three to four projects scheduled this school year.

The schools began a school congress to create community outreach projects. Student representatives were elected Tuesday and sworn in Friday. They will meet with the school administration to develop the projects.

The school congress has two representatives from each class. The students were elected by their class. The election also was a lesson in civics.

Additional efforts to teach leadership include luncheons with local leaders and a business day for kids, where students will go into the community and visit local businesses, Marback said. The school also will invite guest speakers and attend some events at the University of Mary.

St. Mary's Grade School is a Catholic school serving kindergarten through eighth grade.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)