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Feature article
VPE kids learn how to be a leader
Article and picture by Tammy Lane
April 22, 2008
If it’s true true that “a little child shall lead them,” then the kids at Veterans Park Elementary have a jump-start.
A group of fourth- and fifth-graders recently completed an eight-week pilot project called LeaderKid Academy, proving that leaders do come in all sizes.
“It was a great program to have kids at that young age think about what it means to be a leader at school, in sports and in their family,” said Principal Amy McVey, who noted that it gave students a chance to explore those avenues with someone other than school staff.
That someone was Bruce Rector, a leadership consultant, writer and president of Monday Morning Messages. He’s familiar with Veterans Park Elementary since his son is a second-grader there.
“They have a very transparent culture that tries to involve a lot of people, and they expect the students to take ownership and be responsible for their performance,” he said.
The 11 students in the pilot program either were members of the Principal’s Advisory Committee (from each homeroom) or were selected based on teachers’ recommendations.
One of the main goals of LeaderKid Academy was to move the youngsters past the mentality that they have to be grown up to be a leader.
They learned about six roles – visionary, coach, manager, educator, ambassador and learner – and talked about how they might best fill those roles in their school, home and community.
“I watched them develop as the program went along,” said McVey, who helped Rector plan and tweak the sessions.
A portion of each session focused on a different foreign country and the value of understanding other people, customs and cultures in order to become an effective business, government or community leader.
“I didn’t really have to water it down too much for the kids,” Rector said, though he tailored the examples to make the material more relevant for this age group.
LeaderKid Academy also included hands-on activities. One Saturday, for example, the students had to keep a time log of how they spent their entire day. They also interviewed their own parents and classmates to ask how they could be a better child and friend.
“The activities got them to practice behaviors,” Rector said.
McVey said one hope is that the fourth-grade participants will help facilitate the sessions for next year’s group at Veterans Park.
As for Rector, he plans to pitch his program to other elementary schools and also create a version called LeaderTeen, geared toward 13- to 18-year-olds.
The main thing he wants students to absorb is that there are no excuses such as “I’m too young.”
“They can be a leader now, wherever they are and whatever they’re doing,” he said. “It’s a choice.”
Read more about the LeaderKid Academy.
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