Building Community Through Student Leadership and Service

Dr. Tiffany Turner Hall is a Worthy Educator, a role model of hope through community building, and our April Champion of the month.

She is a Principal at Lexington School District Two in West Columbia, South Carolina, an Adjunct Professor at Augusta University, and an Artificial Intelligence consultant for Outlier.

I believe that all students should have access to Tier 1 instruction on how to live effectively—not just academically but as engaged, responsible citizens. Too often, we assume that students come to us with the knowledge of how to work with others, serve their communities, and develop strong character. But just as we explicitly teach math, reading, and science, we must also explicitly teach students how to be productive members of a thriving community.

For me, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (@TheLeaderinMe @FrankinCovey) has been a powerful framework for developing these skills. While all of the habits play an important role, I am especially passionate about the paradigm that all students have genius and all students can be leaders. Leadership is not about a title or position - it’s about using your talents and voice to make a difference. This idea is further expanded in the 8th Habit: Find Your Voice, which encourages individuals to discover their strengths and use them to contribute to the world. If we don’t give students the opportunity to engage as active citizens before they graduate, how can we expect them to enter adulthood prepared to make a meaningful impact? (see more here)

Creating Opportunities for Student Citizenship One of the most effective ways I have found to cultivate these competencies (@PersonlizeSC) is through houses or torch groups, where every student belongs to a mixed-age group of 6th through 8th graders. These groups provide an intentional space for students to develop relationships across grade levels and participate in service-learning experiences.

During our Days of Caring, students work together on projects that benefit the greater community while also learning the value of service. Some of the projects they have participated in include:

➢    Making care kits for the homeless

➢    Creating dog toys for a local animal shelter

➢    Knitting preemie hats for the hospital

➢    Writing encouraging cards to veterans overseas

➢    Organizing our Care Closet clothes for those in need

These activities help students realize that service doesn’t require donating a million dollars to a cause - it can be as simple as picking up trash in your neighborhood without being asked. Time costs nothing, and small acts of kindness create a ripple effect in a community.

But service learning isn’t just about doing the act - it’s also about understanding who is impacted, why, and learning to work together as a team. That’s why we incorporate WEB (Where Everybody Belongs @BoomerangPrjct) lessons into our Days of Caring. Our 8th-grade WEB leaders facilitate activities on real-life leadership topics such as: 

➢    Your attitude determines your altitude

➢    The power of kindness and inclusion

These lessons help students connect their service to a larger purpose and develop a deeper sense of empathy. (see more here)

Building Future Leaders Through Service

As we celebrate National Volunteer Month, it’s important to remember that service learning isn’t just about fulfilling a requirement - it’s about developing students who understand their role in making the world a better place. South Carolina’s Competencies of a SC Graduate  (@PersonalizeSC) emphasize the importance of civic engagement, and our goal should be to prepare students to be active, thoughtful citizens before they leave middle school. Check out the engaging as a citizen competency continuum (see more here).

When students participate in meaningful service opportunities, they begin to see that leadership isn’t reserved for adults - it’s something they can practice now. Through small, intentional experiences, we empower them to find their voice, recognize their ability to make a difference, and step into leadership roles with confidence.

If we want strong, thriving communities, we must start by building strong, engaged students. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow - they are the leaders of today. #NationalVolunteerMonth #Leadership #ServiceLearning #StudentVoice

April is Volunteer Month at The Worthy Educator!

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