LeaderKids Collaborate With Community Partners To Make A Big Impact With A Small Budget

Each year, LeaderKids participate in a service project that is the successful culmination of an 8-month learning journey exploring the five leadership practices, education and career opportunities, opportunities to build self-confidence and practice teamwork.

The LeaderKids group selects a feasible community project which fulfills a need expressed by a local organization. The goal of the project is to support the host organization to better serve our fellow citizens. Our projects have ranged from enriching urban spaces for a neighborhood to enriching play and learning spaces for school children to documentation of the heritage and living environment of a community.

Planning the project in the month of January of every program year, working closely with the staff, TCU student mentors, host organization, multiple community partners and sponsors in a step-by-step approach towards project day and we never forget to celebrate our achievement afterwards!

LeaderKids 8th grade students have spent over 500 hours in community service each of the past 3 years. 

OBJECTIVES: 

• Understand the process of planning a project
• Cultivate the skills of brainstorming, consensus building, decision making, resource management, collaboration, execution and completion
• Practice working with partners of different backgrounds having unique expertise and personalities
• Contribute towards and improve the community in which they live.

HIGHLIGHTS: 

2017-18 OUTDOOR AND INDOOR BEAUTIFICATION & READING NOOK FOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AT COMO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LeaderKids designed and implemented a plan to revitalize common spaces of Leadership Academy at Como Elementary, including building a reading nook, an outdoor classroom and creating murals for the gym and cafeteria.

2016-17 READING NOOKS AND OUTDOOR BEAUTIFICATION OF LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AT MAUDE LOGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LeaderKids was hosted by the Maude Logan Leadership Academy for our service project. The project consisted of building 5 reading nooks and outdoor beautification including mural work and landscaping. The building of reading nooks was aligned with the City for Fort Worth/FWISD 100×25 initiative.

2015-16 ENHANCEMENT OF MAUDRIE M. WALTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COURTYARD INTO OUTDOOR LEARNING AND RECREATION SPACE & HISTORIC STOP SIX COMMUNITY PHOTO DOCUMENTATION PROJECT

PROJECT 1: LeaderKids modified a grassy plain courtyard at the Maudrie M. Walton Elementary School into a space to be used for experiential / outdoor learning and recreation by the students, faculty and families of the school. It included seating elements like benches along with a seated outdoor classroom with a chalk board; Natural elements like beds with plants, flowers, vegetables, native Texas plants; Conservation elements like composting, recycling, rain water harvesting and Aesthetic elements like pathway, art work.

PROJECT 2: LeaderKids documented the spaces, structures and people of the Stop Six community through the medium of photography. The project included a digital & printed set of photographs of the Stop Six Community & the design and display of photographs at the The Center of Stop Six Heritage.

2014-15 ENHANCEMENT OF DOLORES HUERTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND 

LeaderKids developed a plan to enhance a fenced but essentially empty playground into an inviting, active play environment to encourage physical and creative development.

The project included:

• Active Play: Balance beams, Climbing walls
• Creativity elements: Xylophone fence, Musical wall
• Seating and shade elements: Benches, Planter benches, Shade structure
• Aesthetic elements: Planters, Painted stepping stones, Playground name on the fence, 27 trees donated & planted

2013- 2014- GOBSMACKED! TEMPORARY ART PROJECTS IN THE SOUTH MAIN URBAN VILLAGE

LeaderKids participated in a three-month, intense, collaborative planning process to design and plan five public art concepts that they installed to create a “sense of place” in the new South Main Urban Village.

5 Business Owners provided their properties for public art projects:

• Mural Wall at W. A. Powers Building
• Art panels- Iron fence at JO Design
• Installation- Chain –link fence at Texaco Building
• Installation- Large tree at Broadway & Bryan street
• Street Art- Stairs at former Historic Supreme Golf building

A HUGE thank you to our community partners… so far!

To learn more about our LeaderKids program, please visit.