Leadership

Student leadership plays an essential role in a close-knit residential community like ours.
 

Our student leaders help to establish and maintain a welcoming, supportive, and forward-looking school environment. Students at LAS have a number of opportunities to take on leadership roles and regularly interact and work together with their peers on different projects. 

The LAS Fred Ott Leadership Program was launched to give students the means to hone their leadership skills and give back to the communities in which they live—their dorms, school and the world beyond. Student leaders selected for the Fred Ott Leadership Program fall into three groups—Prefects, Ambassadors, and Senior Proctors. 

Our Student Council (StuCo), International Award program, and Honor Council provide additional opportunities for students to take on leadership positions. Clubs, athletic teams, events also give students the ability to become leaders and shape the school.

Leadership Map of Leysin American School

Our service opportunities highlight the importance of helping those in need both within the community of Leysin and beyond. Students who are interested in becoming involved in compassion and character-building initiatives are encouraged to become a part of our two biggest service organizations on campus: National Honor Society and Habitat for Humanity.

The National Honor Society is a US organization that was established to recognize outstanding high school students. The NHS celebrates students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. NHS is involved in fundraising for the Terry Fox Run, the Mercy Trust orphanage in Thailand, and many other worthy causes. Members also organize and participate in numerous events throughout the academic year.

LAS has sponsored annual trips with Habitat for Humanity since 1996. As an organization that is focused on building "strength, stability, and self- reliance through shelter," students' participation in this group teaches them about compassion, empathy, and setting up practical, purposeful steps to achieve their goals. Throughout the year, students learn how to fundraise, create compelling presentations, and build. In recent years, students have worked on building sites in Hungary, Macedonia, Portugal, Poland, and Romania. 

For over 60 years, we have nurtured the talent of our students, motivating them to achieve their best in education, sports, and arts. 
Our success stems from the vision of founders Fred and Sigrid Ott—to create an international high school in a secure, inspiring location, where young people can reach their academic and personal potential, and become true “citizens of the world.” Under the leadership of the third generation of the Ott family, this vision continues to guide our mission of promoting international understanding among young people and excellence in boarding school education. Read more in the student handbook here.