Leadership

The primary goal of Making It Better's Leadership Academies is to inspire personal excellence through the development of leadership qualities and positive life skills to prepare our students for future success. Leadership Academies are a major component of the Steps 2 Success After School Program.

Offering Solutions - Through Leadership Academies

    Components:
  • Promoting Self-Awareness and Positive Identity
  • Developing the Characteristics of a Leader
  • Setting and Maintaining Goals
  • Developing Social and Positive Relationship Skills
  • Participating in Community Service
  • Teaching Entrepreneurship

Our Approach

It is commonly believed that leaders are born and not made. In fact, it does not "just happen"; leadership is nurtured and developed which is exactly what our program does.

Participation in Leadership Academies is offered to students, chosen by school staff, who exhibit leadership potential and need a positive direction in which to direct and develop that potential.

Each of the facilitators will follow a set curriculum for each basic lesson and will add to those lessons as they see fit. The students will be evaluated based on their improvement in the above focus areas, as well as, the improvement in school performance, attendance and behavior (office referrals/teacher discipline problems). The students' progress will be assessed prior to beginning the program and upon completion, we will also have ongoing assessment during the course of the year (for the units and in regard to school performance).

Goals

We believe that instilling leadership skills in children is vital to their ability to resist the negative influences that are so common in their world today. By practicing their new leadership skills with support from adults, young people are able to put what they learn into action and become confident, positive leaders.

Program Objectives
Lemonade Day

Leadership Academies culminate in Lemonade Day, a yearly, city-wide entrepreneurship event where students have the opportunity to run their own business. The kids have a blast while learning many new skills including:

  • Goal Setting
  • Developing a business plan that includes advertising and marketing
  • Establishing a budget and seeking investors
  • Providing customer service
  • Giving back to the community

Testimonial

"I noticed that students attitudes and thoughtfulness changed over the year. They begin to mature and see other student/people's view point in a given situation. Several students showed a growth in their academics as well. They put in more effort during school and often asked for tutorials or extra practice if they were not understanding a concept. The MIB Leadership program was a huge help in cultivating the students into becoming productive leaders in my classroom."
Lana Minshew
5th grade teacher
Askew Elementary