"Include ME!" School Assemblies
Pathways' youth leaders designed school assemblies that describe their vision for inclusion and put forth the "Include ME!" Challenge to all schools in the Montville Township School District. The assemblies begin by redefining the word "disability." So often people with "disabilities" are stereotyped and categorized by society as people who "can't" do things due to their disabilities. The assembly shows examples of children with special needs who have defied the odds and used their gifts to become leaders that were able to turn their dreams into a reality. These children developed a passion for their vision (iCAN) and then developed the character and resilience to carry their vision through to completion (iDo). Consequently, they accomplished what even those without "disabilities" would deem impossible or as beyond remarkable. These concepts are then presented to the students on a more personal level where they are challenged to develop their own purpose or passion. They are then challenged to become not only people who strive for personal success, but also strive to add value and significance to others. Social change leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Teresa are used as examples of leaders who accomplished so much because they were devoted to service, included others, and challenged the world to become better from the inside-out. The school is then challenged to not provide "character education" or "anti-bullying" programs that produce no cultural change or lasting outcomes, but to develop a service attitude where character becomes a part of daily life. Students, parents, and teachers share their personal stories throughout the assembly and give specific examples of how they took on the "Include ME!" Challenge and applied the "iCan-iDo" principle in their own lives.
The assemblies first began in Montville Township schools and were adapted to the specific age levels of the students. The leaders in Leadership L.I.V.E. met their goal of training 4,400 students in seven schools in four weeks. Their efforts received rave reviews and the assemblies were ranked as some of best, not only by administrators and staff, but most importantly by the students. These assemblies ignited a vision for change and got more students excited about getting involved in service leadership. Since that time they have been performed in other districts with the same rave reviews and responses!
We are excited to see such a positive and enthusiastic response and are confident the program will produce on-going support that will facilitate service leadership as not only a priority in schools and communities but will be a first step in the process of producing lasting cultural change. For more information about these assemblies contact mvtpec@aol.com.
