Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative

What is the Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative?

The Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative is designed to accomplish three ambitious goals:

1. Developing the natural leadership abilities of middle school students by providing concrete leadership tools;
2. Increasing awareness of civic action opportunities for middle school age students; and
3. Creating an active network of middle school age leaders in our state, who are creating positive change in their local communities.

To accomplish these outcomes, AYF is partnering with local middle schools to select teams of 6th-8th graders who have been identified as emerging student leaders. They may not be students who already hold leadership positions, but are those who have been recognized by school staff as positive role models with a desire to make a difference. Each school will also be responsible for selecting one or two faculty members who will act as an advisor/mentor for the team.

Each school's team will consist of 10-12 students and 1-2 teachers/faculty. The program will begin with a 5-day training on site at the AYF Miniwanca facility and continue within the individual schools throughout the academic year. The training will be carefully planned utilizing AYF’s tested leadership curriculum, Tools for Team Leadership©, and site-based experiential tools (team challenge course, high challenge course, group initiatives).

The curriculum will provide hands-on opportunities for the students to explore what leadership means and the variety of leadership styles, and then discover their own personal strengths and leadership style. They will also focus on group dynamics and learn how to work as a team to effect change. The individual outcomes for the 5 days include:

1. Best Self: Participants recognize the unique qualities they already possess and take time to further develop their own personal best
2. Balanced Living: Balancing the mental, physical, social, and spiritual aspects in a variety of situations
3. Healthy Community Relationships: Development of skills important to creating and maintaining healthy friendships and a positive group culture
4. Personal Effectiveness: The sense that one is in control of one’s life.
5. Effectiveness in Groups: Understanding one's actions in relation to other
6. Openness to Diversity: Belief that there is more than one right way to do things; willingness to consider other viewpoints; openness to people of other races and ethnic groups; and ability to deal with issues that cannot be precisely resolved.
7. Social Responsibility: A sense of shared duty to consider and help others in society

Each team will finish their training by completing a civic action plan. The plan will outline an issue area and proposed action steps and will be the blue print for the work that will begin when the participants return home. Each team will also work with their faculty mentor to decide how they will continue to work as a team during the school year. The programs will be different in each school: some may meet several times a month during the school day; some may meet once a month on a Saturday; others may meet on a weekly basis after school.

To read a newspaper article about the 2008 program, click here.

To read some of the exciting projects and vision statements of the 2009 schools, click here.

How is the program funded?

Each of the attending schools has a local community partner (business or granting organization) that has contributed the FULL cost of transportation, programming, food and lodging in order for the school to attend. These generous donations of $2,000 per school translate into each student coming AT NO COST TO THEM!

Do you want to help make the Michigan Middle School Initiative a reality in 2010 a reality for 10 students from your local middle school? Full sponsorship of a school is $2,000.  Please click here to make a secure, online donation.

Please send all inquiries regarding the program, including registration and/or funding inquiries to:

Adam Russell
Director of Community & School Programs, Miniwanca
arussell@ayf.com
(231) 861-2262, ext. 1111