High school students in blue t-shirts with the word "volunteer" printed on them sort donated clothes in cardboard boxes. One female student faces the camera smiling.

School Projects for Positive Change: Empower Students to Positively Impact Their Communities

Inflexion February 9, 2021

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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of it for another.

– Charles Dickens

INTRO

Empower students to positively impact their communities, country, and the world. Consider projects from Design for Change.

GO skills and behaviors include elements of student agency– self-awareness, self-knowledge, and an understanding of who you are in the context of the world around you, including your family and your community. This includes leadership skills, advocacy skills, self-care, and healthy habits as well as skills like kindness and empathy. Many of these skills are necessary to successfully navigate big life transitions such as attending college, enrolling in a vocational program, starting a new job, or even beginning a new personal relationship.

OBJECTIVES

Challenge students to use their time to do what matters most to them and their communities

Help your students learn how to prioritize and balance their planning and commitments

RESOURCES

P R O J E C T I D E A S : Design for Change – Student Action Projects

ACTIVITY

Empower students to positively impact their communities, country, and the world.

Consider projects like these from Design for Change.

TIPS

Key Moves are efforts that require a bit of planning, but can be implemented within the next 3-6 months

Like this activity? Check out Inflexion’s full-page GO document for more ideas.

Categories: Community Activities, Instructional Practices, Student Activities

Tags: 21st Century Readiness, Inclusive Practices, School Leaders, Shared Vision for Readiness, Student Empowerment, Student Experience

Case Study: Merced Union High School District

Through its work with Inflexion, MUHSD is seeing strong results in student outcomes and in closing the opportunity gap for underserved students. California School Dashboard data show College/Career Indicator scores for African American, Hispanic, English Learners, students with disabilities, students who are homeless, and students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged are 16 to 29 points higher than the state average.

Inflexion June 9, 2020

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Passion. Pride. Promise. Two Leaders Help Pave the Way for Their Students & Communities

Tucked away in the hills of rural western Oregon, the Vernonia and Gaston school districts defy many of the stereotypes most of us hold when we think of rural schools. Their communities face both common and unique challenges. Vernonia Elementary Principal, Michelle Eagleson, and Gaston Superintendent, Summer Catino, share how their small schools and communities achieve greatness.

Vanessa Brazil October 25, 2022

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Build Unity Through Change: Engage Staff in Continuous Improvement Processes

Continuous improvement should be embedded in day-to-day work, in a systemized, organic way. You can think of the cyclical process as a formative assessment of the ideas being tested.

Inflexion June 7, 2023

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Snapshot of What’s Working: Multi-Tiered System of Support

Few large-scale policy initiatives speak to the potential of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) more so than the California Scale-Up Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Statewide Initiative—simply referred to as California MTSS.

Inflexion February 15, 2019

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Family And Community Engagement (FACE): How To Get Started with Community School Development

So you’re familiar with community schools. You’re interested. But getting started can feel like the hardest part. While your own school/district’s path may ultimately differ from Anaheim Union School District’s, their example can help you begin mapping out where to start.

Inflexion April 19, 2023

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Implementing PBIS: 6 Challenges and 7 Supports to Consider for Your Schoolwide Program

Effectively implementing a schoolwide PBIS system that is equitable and meets the needs of all students may feel like a fairy tale. But by understanding the barriers to successful implementation and the supports needed to overcome them, school leaders can better prepare for and modify PBIS at their sites.

Inflexion May 17, 2023

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Your School’s Identity is More Important Than You Think

Like it or not, the cultural identity of your school drives everything else you do. Who you truly are and what you believe about yourself at the core is defined by what you do. In an increasingly competitive climate, it’s more important than ever to clarify who you are and what you value.

Rachel Phillips March 16, 2018

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Diverse group of smiling high school students sitting in front of a row of computers.

Portico Student Experience Survey: Measuring Belonging, Connection, Engagement

Let’s move away from an environment where kids are sorted, packaged, and labeled based on the perceptions of adults that barely knew them. Readiness and success should be defined by students’ engagement, adaptability, and what they can do with their knowledge. However, students need to feel a sense of belonging, connection, and engagement as well as demonstrate self-awareness, self-management, and well-being to achieve true readiness and success. This survey process is an important step in that direction.

Inflexion February 21, 2023

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Student Cell Phone Policy: Best Practices for Student Success

As principal of Milwaukie High School, Carmen Gelman (now Director of Professional Development, Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, COSA) worked with the school community (including students) to ensure a firm but balanced approach to student cell phone use. We share their policy and rollout materials to inspire and guide you as you consider tackling this oft contentious topic.

Inflexion May 4, 2023

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A Source of Strength and Community: How Identity Keeps Santiam Canyon United Even When Everything Else is Falling Apart

Santiam Canyon Superintendent, Todd Miller, shares how their school district’s identity and maxims are a source of community and strength, especially when faced with unimaginable disaster.

Vanessa Brazil October 4, 2022

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INTRO

OBJECTIVES

RESOURCES

ACTIVITY

TIPS

Related Articles

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