New Canaan CARES Leadership Challenge program graduated a class of 33 high school students on Monday, May 23, from local high schools. For those unfamiliar with the Challenge, students are required to attend 45 hours of evening skill-based training where they develop and hone important life skills such as organization, time management, public speaking, goal-setting, communication, and team building.
Following their skill-building training, students work in small teams to tackle and identified community need, giving 15 hours of service-learning per team member to a single effort. Projects are intentionally assigned to place students outside of their comfort zones to face their fears and practice leading in situations that they have no prior experience. Adult mentors from the community support student leadership teams as they develop and execute their projects. Since its founding, the program has enjoyed 30 semester-long seasons with more than 1,000 graduates who resoundingly agree that they feel equipped to tackle life’s challenges, and ‘Pay It forward.’
At the graduation ceremony, students took turns addressing the audience to reflect on their leadership journey. While all had written something prior to speaking, all students set down their papers to address the audience. They openly discussed their motivations for joining, which included desire for personal improvement, acquisition of leadership skills, curiosity, resume building, college applications and public speaking training. Teams recounted hurdles they faced juggling group schedules, resolving conflicts and dealing with unanticipated circumstances during the service projects. Finally, each student expressed the rewards he or she reaped by participating in the program, which included increased confidence, improved problem-solving and public speaking skills, new friendships, pride, and the capacity to be of genuine service to others.
The Leadership Challenge offers students an excellent hands-on opportunity to learn about their own potential and prepare themselves for the challenges they will face in the future, whether the social pressures of drinking, or difficult life transitions. In addition to these experiences it was clear that this eclectic and diverse group of teens, who admittedly entered into the program with preconceptions about it, and each other, finished with genuine respect and tolerance for their differences, strengths and weaknesses. Those who attended the graduation were in awe of the graduates. One attendee asked, “Can I hire those kids to teach my kids, or better yet, could they come to work at my office?” Another remarked, “I never dreamed that my child could be so well-spoken.”
2016 Leadership Projects
KidPOWER – Grades 2-4: Katie Conese, Erin Corbett, Jessica Parrino, JW Slattery, Cassidy Little
Using crafts, charades, and a wide variety of interactive games, these high school mentors developed a series of 5 consecutive after-school workshops to engage elementary school youth and strengthen their confidence, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. A win-win for high school and elementary students alike, as all develop empathy and life-long socialization skills.
Mentoring Through Drama – Grades 3-4: Esha Dagli, Elizabeth McCarthy, Anna Reed, Nico Savini, Eliza Pohle, Tommy O’Dea
These students wrote, directed, and performed skits for 3rd and 4th grade students including various topics identified by our local principals, such as bus behaviors, developing empathy, offering a genuine apology, transitioning to middle school, exclusion, academic competition, and mean behaviors. Leadership students truly connected with the 3rd and 4th graders by sharing their own experiences and inviting the audience of younger students to participate in skits and share their own stories.
Community Service Ambassadors – Grades 5-8: Jillian Augustine, Lindsey Duane, Danyel Meahan, Sophia Welch, Johnny Warner
This team mentored a group of middle school students after school, specifically focusing on their confidence, communication, and character. High School leaders planned 5 high-energy team building and problem solving sessions to empower middle school mentees with the skills to become future leaders, and to mentor to a group of special needs students.
Elder Buddies – School House Apartments: Luigi DeRubeis, Wesley Fales, Kaitlin Kearns, Joshua Kloud, Caroline Castle, Will Reed
This team planned and executed a weekly series of afternoon, evening, and weekend socialization groups. These events included Game Show Night, Springtime Spectacular, Mexican Night, Old School Music Festival, a picnic …and more – all in an effort to build companionship and a sense of community among the residents at School House Apartments, a subsidized residential facility serving elders in New Canaan.
Leadership Coalition: Grace Rucci, Charlie Hane, Megan Waldron, Quinn Curren, TJ Richardson, Alex Galvan
The Coalition team completed several projects aimed at supporting healthy decision making among younger students, peers, parents and community leaders. Beginning with the development of a PSA examining the challenges that accompany poor choices, this group interviewed peers for alternatives to underage drinking and drug use, later sharing their results with community leaders. They presented to rising freshmen and parents about transitioning to high school, as well as a local private school – again reinforcing healthy decision making, priorities and planning! They capped off their efforts hosting a healthy alternative party to raise awareness of having fun without drinking or drugs.
Leadership Challenge students were nominated to be a part of the program by teachers, peers, parents and self-nomination. For more information on New Canaan CARES or the Leadership Challenge program, visit newcanaanCARES.org. To nominate a student for Fall 2016, email Meg Domino at mdomino@newcanaancares.org.
Thirty-three high school students from local high schools graduated from the New Canaan CARES Leadership Challenge program, May 23.
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