HIGH SCHOOL - LEAD

LEAD is a 10-month program providing an opportunity for a diverse group of high school students to learn and practice leadership and public speaking skills, improve communication and collaboration, forge healthy relationships, and improve interpersonal skills. Through weekly meetings, overnight training retreats, and hands-on community service experiences, LEAD builds the strengths and leadership capacities of teens so they can grow into healthy, caring, and responsible adults. Any high school student in the Santa Clara or San Mateo county may join.

Purpose
LEAD's purpose is to provide positive ways for youth to experiment, take risks, exercise leadership and develop relationships with diverse teens and adults in a safe, structured environment. The high ropes course experience offers teens a physical and emotional challenge, while relationships deepen as they rely on their peers and adult mentors to hold the ropes which keep them safe. Leadership opportunities abound at each meeting as the teambuilding activities invite participants to collaborate, voice their opinions, create and execute problem solving plans, manage conflict, and analyze lessons learned. The year-end Friends and Family Day offers participants the chance to be recognized and trusted as leaders in their community.

Timeline
To prepare for Friends and Family Day, the group meets weekly to get to know each other, and learn teambuilding activities. A two-day fall overnight retreat, and a three-day spring overnight retreat at a ropes course in the Santa Cruz mountains provides an experience and training on a high ropes course. Throughout the year, we take the students for day-long high ropes training sessions at the Sunnyvale Baylands Park.
The LEAD year begins in late September, and officially ends with a graduation ceremony in June. During the summer, adult volunteers and students help to organize a white water rafting trip, and other social outings.

A typical weekly training session involves the following activities:

• Check-in: each participant answers the question of the day and shares the best and worst parts of their week.

• Energizer: group participates in a short activity to engage their bodies and minds.

• Problem-solving: group splits into teams to work on a problem-solving initiative that emphasizes the daily objective (ie. moving out of comfort zones, building trust, conflict resolution, public speaking).

• Debrief: staff facilitates a group discussion on the tools needed for success in the activity.

In the second semester of training for the Friends and Family Day, students lead more of the activities with the support of program staff. In addition, staff members invite speakers to encourage the group in applying for college and scholarships, and exploring opportunities in the field of experiential education.

"Many students overcame deep fears and left with a huge sense of pride
and accomplishment"

-Susan Wilson, Teacher Homestead HS