Maximizing Our Potential

I have been quite busy lately with school and extracurricular activity, but I have been thinking a lot about my Emerging Public Leader's Project.

Maximizing Our Potential
(M.O.P.)
Mission Statement:
M.O.P.’s goal is to enhance the character and leadership capabilities of young people with the aim of developing caring, knowledgeable leaders in 21st Century America.

As a graduate of Mayewood Middle School and one who has a passion for both education and leadership, I have watched in awe the demise of my generation of young people. Too often, I see young people who have the potential to succeed, fall prey to the temptations of the world around them. Many talk about the problems that young people are facing, but very few actually do anything to impact their lives in a positive manner. As I thought about what I could do to improve my community, I realized that the greatest impact I could have on my community would not come solely from me, but instead from those whose lives I would affect. This realization led to the development of M.O.P. Through this program I would like to reach young people who have the potential to be successful in any of their endeavors, but simply need a reminder that regardless of what is going on around them, regardless of how the media portrays success, and regardless of what their friends seem to expect of them, they have limitless potential to be great in all that they set out to do.

The focuses of the program will be:
Respect

Responsibility

Citizenship

Nonviolence

Decision Making

Trustworthiness

Problem Solving

Leadership

Participants will engage in thought-provoking discussions and hands-on activities that will supplement the theme of each meeting. At the end of the program, participants will be expected to complete a community service project that will teach them the most important lesson that one can ever learn—“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Timeline:

October 3, 2006~Met with Principal Dr. Mary B. Hallums and Counselor Dr. Cynthia Copeland

October 17, 2006~Information letter sent to Dr. Copeland to send home with prospective participants

October 19, 2006~Email from Dr. Copeland asking to move start date from October 23rd to November 7th (Election Day)

November 9~Program set to begin (Information Session)

The following days are meeting days for M.O.P. participants. We will use meeting days to focus on the pillars of leadership.

Tuesday, November 14

Thursday, November 17

Tuesday, November 21

Tuesday, November 28

Thursday, November 30

Tuesday, December 5

Thursday, December 7

Tuesday, December 12

Thursday, December 14

Tuesday, December 19

Thursday, January 4

Tuesday, January 9

Thursday, January 11

Tuesday, January 16

Thursday, January 18

Tuesday, January 23

Thursday, January 25

Tuesday, January 30

Thursday, February 1

Tuesday, February 6

Thursday, February 8

Tuesday, February 13

Thursday, February 15

Tuesday, February 20

Thursday, February 22

Tuesday, February 27

Thursday, March 1

Tuesday, March 6

Thursday, March 8

Tuesday, March 13

Thursday, March 15

Tuesday, March 20

Thursday, March 22

Tuesday, March 27

Thursday, March 29

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Proposed Budget

Books & Supplies: $150

Student Certificates: $25

End of the year banquet: $125

Total: $300