NEWSLETTER
FIRST SEMESTER SUMMARY OF LUKE’S LEADERS ISSUE: DECEMBER 2024
We are extremely happy to have 80 students who have already participated in Luke’s Leaders programming this year with an average weekly attendance of 65 students. This includes our three programs for 6th grade students (one at each Middle School), our 7th grade program and 8th grade program (7th and 8th grades are both delivered at St Luke’s UMC with students from all three Middle Schools).
We are grateful for our partnerships with Peace Learning Center (6th grade program) and the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis (7th and 8th). The well-established and well-respected organizations in our community provide curricula specifically designed for helping middle school students develop leadership skills. Beginning in January, we will add the Center for Leadership Development as our third partner. We are excited for this addition to our portfolio of curricula that we can provide to your students.
UPCOMING EVENTS-LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
We are excited to announce the first Annual Leadership Summit for the Luke’s Leaders Program to take place on January 18, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme of this year’s summit is the MLK “I Have a Dream...” speech, helping the students focus on the dream and creating an action plan for personal branding.
Developing Leadership Skills is not linear, and the pace is not the same for any two students.
It is truly a beautiful thing to hear our students discuss current topics of interest with passion and understanding. Every week, we see your middle school students developing confidence, self-esteem, and communication skills (even listening!). They are a joy to be with, and we are blessed to be on this leadership journey with them.
Lange
This summit will provide an opportunity for students from all five cohorts to convene for a common experience of leadership development. The day will include lunch, snacks, speakers, and a community service project.
For more information and to register:
Tom
President, Luke’s Leaders
Poster created by Northview MS MS Luke’s Leader member-2023
Poster created by Northview MS Luke’s Leader member-2023
LUKE’S LEADERS YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT
Luke’s Leaders 8th grade students from all three Washington Township middle schools got a chance to broaden their understanding of how Indiana State Government works by practicing and modeling different aspects of the governing process during the eight weeks of the fall semester. The overall goal for the program was to expose students to the many processes and steps required to create or change a law, by giving them a hands-on experience of going through the process.
We proposed and debated rules for our classroom, and both amended and voted on the proposed group rules, just as if we were working in the government. They explored hot topic issues that were important to them, such as gun violence, racial profiling, school budgets, and public safety/child trafficking. The students then took those issues and worked through the process of drafting bills that proposed new laws relating to their chosen issues.
During the process of writing their bills, they learned about the different agencies that make up Indiana’s State Government and were tasked with solving the challenging problem of how to fund their proposed laws and initiatives. The Youth in Government Group will finish the program in December by focusing on debate skills, practicing pro and con arguments for each of
their bills, and voting on their bills.
As a group, the students are coming away with a broader understanding of the civic process, and a strengthened confidence in their ability to argue for the things they believe in.
Our students had the opportunity to visit YMCA Camp Eberhart in Three Rivers, Michigan, for the Indiana Youth and Government Organization Day on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Pictures are included in this newsletter.
Students will be participating in the Middle School Model Government Conference, where they will present their bills, debate
Anders Kleiman, Facilitator Greater YMCA of Indianapolis
LUKE’S LEADERS-LEADERS CLUB
During the first semester of Leaders Club, Luke’s Leaders 7th grade students from all three Washington Township middle schools, had a lot of fun learning how to be good leaders and discovering their own positive traits!
The first two weeks our student leaders learned about Leaders Club, got to know each other and our adult leaders, and learned how to identify leadership qualities in themselves and others. After learning about what being a leader means, they put their knowledge to the test.
During the next two weeks, the student leaders were introduced to the leadership positions they could have in Leaders Club. This included positions such as president, vice president, set-up coordinator, and supply manager. Over these two weeks, our student leaders applied for their positions, campaigned, gave speeches, and voted on who they would like to see lead their group. Through the election process, we elected two set-up coordinators and two
supply managers. There were no students elected to be president or vice president, so those positions will be revisited in the spring semester.
After the election process, it was time to start planning our end-of-semester service project! During the last three weeks, student leaders learned about the importance of volunteering, how they could volunteer in their community, and what issues are affecting their community.
After learning about all the volunteering possibilities, our student leaders chose to host an animal care drive at St. Luke’s UMC, where they will talk to the community about issues affecting animal shelters in Indianapolis and collect items needed by the shelters. There was not enough time to complete this project during the first semester, so our animal care drive will take place on January 22, 2025.
Laney Marshall, Facilitator Greater YMCA of Indianapolis
LUKE’S LEADERS SIXTH GRADE GROUPS
Before adolescents can be productive in developing leadership skills, they first need to understand themselves. Once we understand ourselves (our goals, motivators, those who inspire us, fears, etc) we will be better positioned to develop our leadership skills. This is the primary focus of our 6th grade program.
We always spend time to get to know each other better with various games and activities. We focused our weekly discussions on goal setting, and understanding motivators and values. Deep dives into understanding how our brains work with regards to self-esteem and self-talk, as well as regulating emotions.
Overall we feel like our students (42 students between the three Middle Schools) enjoyed getting to know classmates who they previously didn’t know and getting to know adult facilitators and advisors. The participation level is generally high so we know the students are finding the topics of interest and the amount of sharing of opinions and ideas is a sign that the students are learning.
Montez Rowley, Facilitator
Macy Cansdale, Facilitator
Mame Keita, Facilitator
SECOND SEMESTER CALENDAR
Jan. 15, 2025
Jan. 22, 2025
Jan. 29, 2025
Feb. 5, 2025
Feb. 12, 2025
Feb. 19, 2025
Feb. 26, 2025
March 12, 2025
Jan. 15, 2025
Jan. 22, 2025
Jan. 29, 2025
Feb. 5, 2025
Feb. 12, 2025
Feb. 19, 2025
Feb. 26, 2025
March 12, 2025
Jan. 14, 2025
Jan. 21, 2025
Jan. 28, 2025
Feb. 4, 2025
Feb. 11, 2025
Feb. 18, 2025
Feb. 25, 2025
March 4, 2025 (tentative)
Jan. 16, 2025
Jan. 23, 2025
Jan. 30, 2025
Feb. 6, 2025
Feb. 13, 2025
Feb. 20, 2025
Feb. 27, 2025
March 6, 2025
