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A 2023 US News-Harris Poll found that 86% of Americans expressed deep disappointment in society's leaders, believing they are ill-prepared to deal with today's crises and do not reflect the values ordinary Americans hold dear. Furthermore, a significant number feel that the country's current leadership is hindering progress and, in some cases, making things worse, rather than moving society forward. Recent results from an NPR/PBS News/Marist national poll revealed that 60% of Americans would not want their child to become president of the United States, a position once considered the pinnacle of influence and coveted by families across the country. These findings paint a grim picture that America is facing a serious leadership crisis.
Great leaders aren't born, they're made. They come from a combination of education, mentorship, encouragement, and real-world experiences. Service-learning is an approach in which students apply their academic and civic knowledge and skills to address real community needs, providing young people with the critical hands-on experience they need to develop their leadership skills. This involves researching real community problems, designing effective programs, and implementing those solutions in real life. Such real-life experiences infuse students with curiosity, creativity, and empathy — all of which are essential for effective leadership. Programs that offer service-learning help cultivate these skills and empower young people to create positive change in their schools and communities.
One such program was launched by the National Youth Leadership Council in 2022 for students in grades 6-12. The program invites teams of at least two students and an adult mentor to create a service-learning project in one of four focus areas: educational equity, community health, environmental justice, and civics and democracy.
By researching, exploring and understanding specific needs, the team digs deep into issues affecting their communities to identify meaningful and impactful projects to work on. Since its inception, the program has served 1,420 students across 71 schools and organizations in 29 states, fostering essential leadership skills and values, and empowering young people with boundless energy, creativity and passion for change to take on leadership roles at an early age.
Grounded in local needs, projects hone collaboration skills with peers and local partners; deepen young people's understanding of systemic issues and root causes; foster civic responsibility, build empathy, and create opportunities for action and advocacy.
Across the country, students use service learning to address issues such as water conservation, recycling, and distracted driving. A team of students in New York investigated the negative effects of excessive social media use among teenagers. They came up with the “5 Hour Free Friday” campaign, which encourages teenagers to stay away from social media and technology for five hours on Fridays to improve their mental health and self-esteem. The team's efforts garnered attention from local media and sparked an important discussion about the impact of social media in St. Lawrence County. After announcing their campaign at a local council meeting, over 100 community members signed up to participate.
Another team of students in Northern California focused on the lack of financial education resources in disadvantaged communities. They developed a free curriculum and offered free in-person and online financial literacy workshops to kids ages 7 to 11. These efforts help families begin building generational wealth, close economic gaps, and reduce financial instability.
A team called H20 Heroes from New Jersey embarked on a mission to study water access in parts of the world where water is scarce. They found that in households without indoor plumbing, women and girls are primarily responsible for fetching water. In rural India, for example, women and girls walk an average of two miles every day, carrying heavy loads on their heads. This not only leads to serious health problems, but also prevents them from getting a job or education, reinforcing the cycle of poverty. In response, the students pledged to raise funds to support Wells on Wheels, an initiative to provide water to families in India. The leadership team hosted a water summit for fifth and sixth graders in the district, held a fundraising contest, and sold reusable water bottles.
Studies have shown that students who participate in service-learning have improved self-esteem, academic achievement, social engagement, and social skills. For example, during the pandemic, student leaders in Chicago partnered with local health agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement a bilingual campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Latino communities. “It made me realize that young people can be a force for change in the world,” said one student who spoke about the experience at the Leadership Council. “This experience opened my eyes to everyday issues that impact our world.”
These experiences have the power to create the next generation of leaders our country needs – leaders who will meet the world's challenges while embodying values such as empathy, integrity, transparency, respect and commitment.
Now, more than ever, teens need to be given the education, mentorship and opportunities they need to become the transformational leaders the nation urgently needs. Delaying leadership education until college or adulthood risks wasting young people's potential. The question is not whether America can invest in the leadership development of today's youth, but whether we can afford not to invest in it.
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