9/14/17 – 5:19 A.M.

Several Liberty-Benton High School students took part in leadership training exercises Wednesday. The Courier reports around 60 students took part in the event at Gateway Church on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming “Students Taking Roles In Developing Educational Success” or STRIDES Day.

Principal Brenda Frankart says the students took part in team-building exercises. On Monday they’ll serve as team captains for smaller groups that meet every few weeks during the year. Frankart says the STRIDES program helps students learn to work together. She adds it also help new students get a sense of the school and its culture.

Frankart says while it takes time to plan for STRIDES every year, it leads to “better behavior, higher expectations, and a more accepting culture.”

MORE: The Courier