HOUSTON The more young people are able to recognize their own potential, the less likely they are to make wrong choices, said Sandra Farris, Harris County Extension agent for family and consumer science.
As coordinator for leadership projects aimed at elementary, junior high and high school students, Farris has seen this concept in action. She was recently awarded more than $96,000 for a project called “Young Leaders In Action,” which is one of her five youth leadership projects. All together, Farris said, the projects have been awarded about $900,000 in grants, and that figure will be closer to $1 million before the next two years are over.
That’s how much the Texas legislature believes in these projects, which are designed to teach students how to improve their lives through tapping into their own leadership potential, she said.
Currently students from eight Harris County middle schools approximately 25 students from each school participate in two of these programs:
* Leaders for Character focuses on teaching seventh- and eighth-graders just that, Farris said. “Knowing the right thing to do, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”
Some of the concepts emphasized spell out the theme: C is for choice, H is for honesty, A is for attitude, R is for responsibility, and so on, Farris said. The students are given lessons in these concepts. “They do all kinds of this learning through action, but it’s fun. … It culminates with a skit the students do before the school.”
Games such as “This and That” teach about choices and consequences. “We teach them how to think, not what to think,” she said.
To participate in this program, students must be recommended by a teacher, and then must go through an interview process. Young participants are chosen not from the upper- or lower-ranked students, but from “the middle half of students whose leadership potential probably hasn’t blossomed yet,” Farris said.
*Young Leaders in Action also focuses on seventh- and eighth-graders, she said. This program “helps them see themselves outside their neighborhoods.”
Many of these students live on the east side of Harris County and can see the skyline of downtown Houston from their homes but have never actually been there, Farris said. And many of their neighborhoods have problems with gangs and drugs.
By expanding these students’ horizons, this program also gives them a broader view of the possibilities in their own lives in career choices, jobs and as young entrepreneurs she said.
After successfully completing the program which includes mandatory 75 hours of community service the students are awarded the Silver Presidential Student Service Award.
The numbers show the success of these programs, Farris said:
– 85 percent of the students who participate showed improvement in their grades;
– 90 percent showed improvement in their behavior, including in their relationships with peers, parents and school staff;
– 80 percent did not need disciplinary action;
– 90 percent became more active in school and interscholastic activities;
– 70 percent showed improvement in attitude and in relationships with adults; and
– 65 percent learned to resolve conflict in a positive way.
The students tell the benefits in their own words:
“Leaders for Character taught me to stop and think before I act,” said Brittany.
For Wayne, the program gave him an important first: “It’s the first time I’ve ever felt accepted,” he said.
Felicia learned to “not look down on anyone unless you are helping them up.”
“I learned to do what’s right, do it right and do it right now,” was Sean’s favorite lesson.
Community leaders who worked with the students in these programs also provided their own take on the results:
“Leaders for character helps young people control their behavior so they are ready to learn,” said Suzanne Dawkins, a teacher.
Her words are echoed by Kamran Mashayekh, board member of the Leadership Center: “Leaders for character is a life-transforming program for young people. … they are exposed to unconditional kindness and love so they may cultivate that and past it forward to others who cross their paths…”
Because these programs have been so successful and so popular with young participants since they were established in 1995, Farris said, the students themselves requested a program for ninth-graders.
That led to the formation of Advancing Leadership and Service, a program for freshmen which is currently available at Elsik Ninth Grade Center, Hastings Ninth Grade Center and Taylor High School in Alief Independent School District, Harris County. At each of these schools, approximately 25 students are enrolled in the program.
“This is a real partnership,” Farris said, listing Harris County Juvenile Probation, the county judge and the county legislators as some of the partners in the project. Community leaders from many businesses and organizations also provide mentoring for these students, she added.
“Another part of our programing is multi-level mentoring,” carried out in two programs Community Teen Leaders and Empowering Teen Leaders, Farris said.
“Eleventh graders in the Community Teen Leaders and Empowering Teen Leaders mentor and tutor younger students providing them with a variety of leadership opportunties, including the Leaders for Character program.
Students really understand what they have been taught when they can teach someone else.”
The students who complete the Community Teen Leaders and Empowering Teen Leaders programs “are eligible to receive the highest award for students for community service work, the Presidential Gold Student Service Award,” she added. “Thirty-two students will receive the award this year.
“Since 1993, 110,456 young people have been reached through leadership programming with a total of 45,652 hours of community service. In 1993, we started with 50 students, in 2001 we have 975 students in our leadership programs providing community service throughout Harris County.”
But what about students who have already ended up in the juvenile justice system? A program called Spotlighting Leaders was founded with them in mind. Now in its second school year, this program emphasizes “leadership and community service (for) students who have made bad choices,” Farris said.
Most of its young participants are high school students, she said. “Many are part of Harris County Juvenile Probation Department who are trying to make a fresh start.
“We work with them to (teach) them about leadership and (their own) leadership potential,” she said. “We work to reinforce studying and staying in school, graduating or getting a GED, finding employment” and/or going to college.
So far three participants have graduated with this program, Farris said.
One of these young graduates who earned his GED told his peers: “You are worth more than minimum wage.”
“That (may be) more value than they’ve placed on themselves before,” Farris said.
The success of these programs in helping young people find their own personal possibilities has inspired plans for expansion that are already in the works for the 2002-2003 school year, Farris said.
Teachers and administrators undergo a certification training during the summer before the school can take part in the programs, but so many schools want to participate that the plans for next school year are well under way.
And more Harris County students will be able to tap into their own self-worth.
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