Everyday Leadership is a collaborative effort created to provide Treasure Valley low-income 5th and 6th grade youth with the skills and self-confidence they will need to graduate from high school and attain post-high school educations. (140 students participated in the 2019/20 school year).
Objective
Everyday Leadership is a collaborative effort created to provide Treasure Valley low-income 5th and 6th grade youth with the skills and self-confidence they will need to graduate from high school and attain post-high school educations. (140 students are participated in the 2019/20 school year).
Importance
Students who fail to graduate from high school or achieve post-high school training are frequently unprepared for the workplace and especially vulnerable to negative influences. They become a breeding ground for the social and economic issues being experienced in Treasure Valley communities A Northeastern University study found that high school dropouts comprise over 80 percent of the incarcerated population. Because of their low earning potential, they frequently become dependent on public resources, costing taxpayers $292,000 during their lives.The problem in Idaho is especially significant. Idaho’s high school graduation rate rests at 79.7%, lower than all but ten states. Currently only 42% of Idaho’s workforce (ages 25 to 34) has obtained post-high school certificates or degrees.
Everyday Leadership targets fifth and sixth grade students because these youth are at a “gateway” where students with low self-esteem and poor academics are nineteen times more likely to drop out of school as their peers. Low-income youth are especially at risk. These students are five times more likely to drop out of high school than higher income students. With 40 to 60% of Treasure Valley students coming from low-income families, the significance of this issue is too big to ignore.
Collaborators
- Title I Schools (Currently Taft, Grace Jordan, Jefferson, Garfield, Whitney, Koelsch, Morley Nelson, and Wilson Elementary Schools)
- The Treasure Valley YMCA
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho
- The Boise and Caldwell School Districts
- The Rotary Clubs of Boise Metro and Boise Sunrise
Everyday Leadership Activities- Thirteen, Leadership Meetings scheduled throughout the school year. Topics include life skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, conflict resolution, making a difference and decision making.
- Community Service Projects.
- A Three-day Leadership Camp at the YMCA’s Horse Thief Camp.
Outcomes
- 2013/14 and 2014/15 school years (20 students attending Grace Jordan). Principal, parents, and instructors reported positive changes in participants’ academic performance and personal behaviors. They were positively influencing the behaviors of other students.
- 2015/2016 school year (81 students attending Grace Jordan, Jefferson and Garfield). School attendance increased for 60% of the students. Grades improved for 54%. Educators and parents reported nearly all of the youth were adopting leadership skills.
- 2016/17 school year (76 students attending Grace Jordan, Jefferson and Garfield). Grades improved for 64% of the students. The number of students with GPAs < 2.5 dropped to zero. Students involved in behavioral issues dropped from 20 to 13.
- 2017/18 school year (108 students attending Grace Jordan, Jefferson, Garfield, and Taft). 87% of the students improved their grades or had a GPA >3.5. The number of students with GPAs < 2.5 dropped to zero. Behavioral incidences declined by 65%.
- 2018/19 school year (141 students participated from Grace Jordan, Jefferson, Garfield, Taft, Koelsch, and Whitney). 86% of the students improved their grades or maintained their GPA >3.5. Behavioral incidences declined by 55% at five of the schools.
Costs
Annual costs are $5,600 to $6,345 per school. Schools contribute an instructor.
What We Are Hearing?
“All those who joined Everyday Leadership have grown, and the benefit of this program cannot be overstated”. Joan Bigelow, Principal, Jefferson Elementary School
“The children that participate are taught specific, real life skills and characteristics that prepare them for junior high school, high school, and beyond. A tremendous number of the students participating in EL go on to take accelerated courses in secondary school, participate in student leadership activities, and/or enroll in AVID programs. Entry and participation in all of these activities are merit-based, and I am confident that our students' participation in EL has given them an edge. We also see the immediate benefits in students' behavior and enthusiasm for school. EL plants the seed in students' minds that their future is genuinely in their hands; they can achieve whatever they set their minds to do. I am grateful for the value that EL adds to our students' academic experience and our school's climate." Tim Lowe, Principal, Taft Elementary School
“In my experience, which is shared by many of my colleagues, the Everyday Leadership is a vital part in empowering marginalized children”. Joshua D. Brandt, Case Manager, Brighter Future Health, Inc.
