Teacher Appreciation Dinner

Students of TEAM organized a teacher appreciation dinner where they served soup, salad, and dessert at Logan High School.

The dinner was to thank teachers for all the hard work they apply each semester. It was also a great opportunity for TEAM members, mentors, and coordinators to inform teachers about the organization in order to get more students involved.  Information on meeting times, places, types of activities, and basic goals and values of TEAM were made aware to all teachers through greetings and pamphlets.

TEAM is an excellent way for students to get involved in their school and community! There is so many different experiences to be had through the organization.

We hope all teachers who attended were pleased with their experience and hope to recruit some more members to help strengthen our organization because "Together Everyone Achieves More!"

Why and How USU students should get involved

TEAM mentoring is a great opportunity for USU students for numerous reasons. The mentoring program gives wonderful experience that becomes an asset to any resume. Especially for USU students looking to get into education, counseling, or a number of related fields, TEAM provides firsthand knowledge about what certain future careers may entail. Furthermore, TEAM allows USU students to become a part of the community and serve. The atmosphere of working with the high school students to ease their troubles regarding high school and college preparation is so rewarding. Seeing the difference one can make in others lives with a bit of extra listening and effort enhance self-worth and outlook on life. Additionally, by signing up through a group known as AmeriCorps, USU students can earn a scholarship by being a part of TEAM that can help them further their own education. AmeriCorps members sign up for certain hourly commitments to be completed within a years time. Getting involved in TEAM mentoring is easy! By contacting the program coordinators, anyone can start the simple online application process today!

Health and Nutrition

Part of the TEAM’s goals are to create a healthy and physical environment in order to form good lifelong habits within its members. There is no doubt that living a healthy lifestyle is very important in helping to relieve stress, become physically fit, and reduce the risk of certain diseases.

Every meeting, there are a variety of healthy snacks provided for the students and a portion of our time together dedicated to physical activity of some sort. Since I have become a mentor I’ve had the opportunity to participate in Yoga, basketball, missionary tag, dodge ball, and capture the flag. 

There are so many options when it comes to physical activity, many that don’t even make you feel like you’re exercising! TEAM coordinators and mentors are open to any ideas students can bring to meetings that involve physicality. This portion of our time together really is the most enjoyable, in my opinion. Not only are the students getting their exercise with fun activities, but they are also learning about teamwork and leadership!

STEM

 Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

  

      Once a week our lesson or activity for the day will be focused on STEM. As an important part of the TEAM curriculum, STEM provides students with valuable information about an area so important in school, society, and in everyday life. Science, technology, engineering, and math are growing fields of study that continue to improve lifestyles around the globe.

      One STEM activity involved students from USU coming to teach the Logan High students about the brain. They brought a sheep's brain and taught about the structure and uses of each part. They then dissected it to really give the students an idea of what the inside of a brain looks like.

                                                      For another activity the students learned how to make lava lamps using canola oil, water, Alka-Seltzer tablets, and food coloring. By combining these ingredients in a plastic bottle, they were able to see how the elements reacted together to form what resembled a lava lamp.

     Activities such as these provide a great learning atmosphere while also proving a lot of fun for the students!

Scholarships

Although college is expensive, there are many ways around the financial discouragement of having the opportunity to attend. One of these ways (and the ideal way for most) is through scholarships.  Scholarships are academic allowances given by certain companies or organizations, either local or national, to students of outstanding achievement. There are many different types of scholarships, all of different amounts and requirements. Some require a high GPA while others look more at the extracurricular activities one participated in. Some are based on ethnic race and others look at writing ability or even strange talents! The options are truly limitless when it comes to finding a scholarship right for you.

Here is a website to search for a scholarship match for you personally:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

Here at TEAM, we do our best to make sure all our students are prepared for their future education by helping with scholarship applications. If needed, we advise through every step of the process to make sure these kids stand out amongst the crowd of applicants. We really gain satisfaction in seeing all students succeed in obtaining their dreams! We are keen to listen and advise with anything we can while being certain we are giving the students their own voice throughout the process.

FAFSA and Financial Aid

Paying for college is often the biggest barrier separating people from a degree. At TEAM we teach the students about the various forms of aid available to them so they know that college is attainable for all. Through FAFSA and financial aid, the US government, states, and colleges themselves  make college affordable for students from every background.

 

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The application can be found and completed easily online.  It is the form that students must submit to determine need analysis based on their family’s financial information. Through this application, examined by federal processors and sent to the student’s chosen colleges, the colleges will then determine eligibility for state, federal, and college financial aid.

 

Financial aid comes in a number of forms:

·         Grants and Scholarships: The preferred form of aid would be grants and scholarships because they do not have to be paid back. Grants are awarded solely on the basis of financial need. Scholarships on the other hand can be awarded based on need, academics, interests, service, area of study, and various other measures. In each case, an institution simply gives the student money to finance their schooling.

·         Loans: Another form of aid that allows students to earn college degrees is student loans. These loans can be either federal or private, but regardless, must be paid back, and often with interest. Loans require the individual to enter into a binding contract in which he or she promises to repay the borrowed money after a specified amount of time, generally in the years following graduation.

·         Work Study: The final form of aid available through the FAFSA application is known as work-study. This program provides part-time employment for a student at their college to help them finance their education.

College is expensive, there is no denying that. It is important that high school students learn that through scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study, financing such an endeavor is possible for all. The education one gains at the college level will create opportunities that make obtaining a degree worth every penny.

What I gained from Tutoring

When I signed up for TEAM Mentoring in March, one of the first things I learned I’d be doing was tutoring. This made me extremely excited because I felt the opportunity to help younger students with subjects I had previously been through was one of the best ways I could give back to my community.

School was always kind of fun for me, although I struggled in technical subjects like Math and Science, I felt I could contribute to most other subjects. Little did I know, however, that a lot of the mentors were strong suited in the same subjects as well so sometimes I was partnered up with a student who needed help in Geometry or Algebra. Now, I wasn’t terrible at these subjects in high school, it sometimes just took me longer to figure out the problems. This refresher was really good for me and made me think a little harder than if I were to have always helped students in English or History.

Thus far, TEAM has pushed me to want to be better in certain areas in order to help others succeed. It really is such a satisfying feeling to sit down with a student, tutor them on a concept at hand, and seeing their faces light up with excitement when they understand. I definitely now understand why teachers do what they do and why many of them try to push their students to the limit. I think sometimes as students we think our teachers gain satisfaction in killing us with a what-seems-impossible workload.  But really, they are simply preparing us for the big professional world!

What I Gained From Tutoring

I am fairly new to the TEAM mentoring program. Having joined in March, I was only a mentor three months before summer came and ended our regular sessions. However, in just those three months I came to really enjoy being part of something so great.

People always say that helping others is where you find yourself. This couldn't be more true for me as a mentor these past few months. I originally joined TEAM because I saw a poster on the USU campus that advertised a program where one could mentor high school students. Because I'm going to school to become a high school guidance counselor, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get some experience and see if my chosen career path is one that I would really enjoy. TEAM validated for me on a whole new level that the decision I made was the right one.

When I was a junior in high school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Yet, college application deadlines were quickly approaching, where I knew I had to declare a major. After much thought on the issue I began to wonder why I had not received more guidance on exploring career options and forming life goals earlier in my high school career. I began to think that there most have been more someone could have done to help us prepare for life beyond high school. Therefore, I decided I wanted to become a school guidance counselor to help students realize their dreams at a time most critical to their futures. And even more than that, provide the resources and support to help them get there.

TEAM is a program that does exactly that, and more, for the students at Logan High School. Academic tutoring makes sure students will graduate. College readiness (ACT prep, scholarships, FAFSA) ensures that they will get into and be able to afford the college of their choice. Teambuilding encourages friendships and builds life skills of cooperation. STEM teaches them about various fields of study so they can discover what interests them. Service and civic engagement not only build their college applications but teaches them the importance of charity and being involved in ones community.


Being a part of TEAM proved to me that my goals were not unfounded or unrealistic. Helping youth through the various obstacles and challenges associated with high school and future planning  is so needed and so fulfilling. Tutoring allows you to help others, learn about yourself, and form wonderful friendships in the process. I'm grateful to be a part of such an amazing organization that allows me to get so much through giving.

A Favorite Team Building Activity and What I Learned From it

At TEAM we begin each day with  a team building exercise. Often times these activities take the form of games. Therefore they prove a great way to have fun while working together and learning more about one another. One such game that I really enjoyed was a human art project game. With our bodies we had to form a statue of sorts. We were placed in various poses where each person was touching at least two others. One individual would place another in a particular pose. Then the posed person would choose another to pose the person who had just posed them. This continued on until the first person to be posed called that time was up. 

If you gave someone a hard pose, such as a push-up position, they would pick someone to pose you who they knew would give you a harder pose back. In this sense the game related to life: the way you treat people often reflects the way they treat you in return. I have seen this in my life with co-workers, fellow students, and family members. Being kind to another will create a relationship wherein each person is willing and eager to help the other person, not make life difficult for them. In essence it portrayed the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Furthermore, many poses were hard to hold for such an extended amount of time. There was a great deal of muscle shaking and yelled versions of  "Come on! Let's end this!" However, we were able to help each other by sharing the weight and pass time more quickly by laughing with each other instead of focusing on how uncomfortable we were. This too reflects reality wherein struggles are easier to bear when you learn to lean on friends and find the good amid the bad. We all know that life can be so hard at times. I've learned that when I rely on friends and family, and take time to have fun and laugh when I'm overly stressed, things always turn out okay. 

Not only are team building activities enjoyable, but they remind us all the importance of working together and realizing each other's strengths to get past our weaknesses. 

America the Beautiful

As citizens experience hardship in today’s economy and as acts of violence and terrorism seem to occupy much of the media today, it makes it difficult for anyone to remember what made our great nation one of the strongest, most respected countries in the world. The appreciation I hold in my heart for all, both past and present, who have acted with integrity and bravery for the benefit of my beloved country cannot be sufficiently expressed.

Having the opportunity to visit several different countries in Europe was one of the biggest eye openers for me. It put a whole new perspective on how I view the world and gave me a greater appreciation for my homeland. I witnessed struggle. People on every street corner begging for anything you could spare. People along the sidewalks in bitter cold conditions with children and elderly that had no more than the shirt on their backs and maybe a thin blanket to keep warm, most with no shoes. I know that much of it was honest struggle, I saw too much of it for it not to be. So, with that picture now implanted in my mind, I have developed a new love, a new respect for America and the opportunity and the freedom she offers to all.

Although it is difficult to keep in mind at times, especially in our current economic state, we really do live in the greatest nation. I truly do believe America’s creation was divinely inspired. She was created with the intentions of freedom, justice, and liberty for all citizens. She grants people the freedoms to speak freely, practice one's own religion, and publish writings such as what I deliver to you today. America is created on the foundation of opportunity, honesty, and hard work. May we, as responsible citizens, never abuse what our remarkable nation offers us.

 Freedom to me means the freedom of choice. The freedom of what I want in life and having the opportunity to take me there. The freedom of being a woman without worry of restrictions that would hold me back from my goals and dreams. There is nothing more comforting or inspiring than the thought of my freedom. So today, as we celebrate the first and most important historical event as the United States of America, let’s not let our thoughts be so preoccupied with the annual social events and activities that we forget about exactly what made America the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

=

What America Means to Me

Stars and stripes. Baseball and barbeques. Ford and fireworks. These are the things that I immediately picture when I hear the word America. Yet, when I ponder what America really means to me, abstract adjectives replace rather basic nouns. America truly means freedom, bravery, and pride.

 

The association of America with freedom is so common as to seem cliché, but freedom and equality will never be overused or go out of style. America was founded as a place where the individual could think freely and live according to his or her own beliefs. It served as a land of opportunity where hard work would merit profit. Both of these ideals still hold true today. People came to America seeking freedom of choice, and that’s what they received. For me this means I can practice the religion I want, attend the school I want, and attain the career I want. Living in The United States of America allows me the privilege of fating my own life.

When acknowledging the true meaning of America I can’t help but remember and appreciate those whom I owe for the freedoms I spoke of above. From the founding of our country, through two world wars, to current political problems across the globe, countless men and women have fought to protect the land we hold so dear. American heroes embody bravery. Acknowledging the lives lost, picturing the countless memorials erected for them, and thinking of all they gave up to stand for something great, I can’t help but associate our nation with courage and valor.

 

 

It’s no secret that Americans are a group who love their country. The countless flags hoisted around the nation provide proof of the patriotism so prevalent. The silence of great crowds when the National Anthem is performed at various events is evidence to me of the respect the American people hold for the nation. I can honestly say that I am proud to be a part of a country that grants so much and for a people that acknowledge its good. Pride in this nation for freedoms and opportunities, and those who made such possible, will forever be a defining characteristic of the American people.  

Lee Greenwood summed up America in its true form- freedom, bravery, and pride- perfectly in but a few short lines: “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.” I love and hold gratitude for this beautiful country we live in. This time of year reminds me of how lucky I am to have been born in The United States. The Fourth of July, Independence Day, gives us all a chance to celebrate America and what it stands for. However, I do think we could all aim to remember, even just a little more frequently throughout the year, what America really means.

 

Service and Leadership

Though leadership may not be the first word that comes to mind when one ponders the benefits of service, the two do go hand in hand. Service not only builds, but requires, leadership skills. According to the business dictionary leadership involves:

1. Establishing a clear vision

2. Sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly

3. Providing the information, knowledge, and methods to realize that vision

4. Coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders

Effective service necessitates all these aspects of leadership to adequately serve a particular group. First, a vision is needed. A group to serve must be chosen; a purpose must be formed. Without a clear vision, a service organization will be futile, lacking clear direction. In TEAM our goal is to help youth not only graduate high school but prepare for college and life after graduation. Furthermore, TEAM allows the youth to take part in many service opportunities around Cache Valley. Some of these projects include Relay for Life, helping with the after-school program at Wilson Elementary, Loaves and Fishes, safe driving rallies, and many more.

Second, sharing the vision with others proves a necessity. Service requires leadership as one must recruit others to join their cause. The influence of one person is certainly felt to a degree, but the influence of many willing hands can have monumental effects. One of the most crucial elements of successful service organizations is their ability to recruit members and volunteers. TEAM, with only one mentor, would prove an ineffective program. We need mentors and youth to lead by recruiting more mentors and more high school students to join, thus keeping the program running year after year for the benefit of all.

Third, a plan to accomplish the vision must be created. This generally occurs early on in the creation of an organization such as TEAM, but must also occur throughout for different events and activities. Our site coordinators formulate the weekly and monthly plans and let everyone know what is expected of them. The youth also have opportunities to lead as they become heads of certain service projects themselves.

 Finally, the interests of all members of the organization must be coordinated. The program director and site coordinators make sure that the mentors and youth alike know what is expected of them via email or face-to-face communication. Leadership comes in as each individual is responsible for a certain aspect of the program- from bringing materials, to planning an activity, to simply showing up at a certain place at a certain time.

Overall, successful service requires leadership on the part of all the individuals involved. As they formulate a goal, recruit others, work toward the vision, and maintain personal responsibilities leadership qualities are utilized and strengthened.

  

  

Youth organize food donated into backpacks to give to needy families.

Blogpost written by Mollie O'Donnell

TEAM prepares for Act Out Loud

On Friday, TEAM members handed out Otter Pops and flyers to promote Monday afternoon's Act Out Loud Safe Driving Rally.

The event, which will take place at 2:45 p.m. in the LHS parking lot in front of the English building, will have free food, games, beer goggles and other activities to promote safe teen driving.

Cesar Bautista, a junior at LHS, said he is looking forward to Monday's event.

"I'm so psyched," he said. "Last year was so much fun."

Morgan Butler, an LHS senior said he expects it to be "the highlight of this end month of school."

"It's a good note to end on," he said. "It's for a good cause and it helps people."

In preparation for the event, TEAM members were encouraged to ask local businesses to donate various prizes to be used at the rally.

According to Liberti Lucas, one of TEAM's site coordinators, the businesses that agreed to donate include Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Logan Lanes and Smith's. There will also be gift cards from Wal-Mart and coupons from Old Grist Mill.

Service: Relay for Life

Members of TEAM walked/ran on the Field House track at Utah State University from 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday to show support for cancer research and prevention.

TEAM members playing cards
while others are on the track

During the event, known as Relay for Life (a national program), at least one TEAM member had to be on the track at all times. While some paired up to walk around the track, others chose to run it alone. During breaks, they would socialize and play games. There were also various stands set up where they could buy food, drinks and photo opportunities. Money from those purchases — as well as to enter the event — went to the American Cancer Society.

Morgan Butler running the track.
By 10:30 p.m., he had run 5 miles.

Morgan Butler, a Logan High School senior, said he decided to attend the event because it is an important cause. 

"It helps them," Butler said. "It's not for you. It's for someone else, someone that needs help. 

Liberty Lucas, the Wilson Elementary School site coordinator, said it was the high school students in TEAM who decided that the event would be worth doing. 

Liberty Lucas and her husband passing
time on their electronic devices.

"We brought it up to the kids, and they said that they would love to be in this fundraising opportunity for cancer," Lucas said. "We're always looking for service projects and this is just one of them that we took a special interest in."

By the end of the event TEAM had ran/walk 99.5 miles for cancer.

Cancer doesn't sleep and neither did we! 

Health and Nutrition: Saint Patrick's Day

Members of TEAM avoided leprechauns while stealing from their pots in the downstairs gym of Wilson Elementary School on Saint Patrick's Day.

The after school club played the holiday-themed game as its health and nutrition event, which takes place on Mondays.

A pot of gold

Everyone was divided into four teams with three people designated as leprechauns. Hula hoops were placed in the center of the gym -- designated as the leprechauns' pots. Teams gathered in each corner. When music played, students stole markers -- which represented the gold -- from the center hoops and took them back to their corner. Whichever team had the most markers in its hula hoop by the time the music stopped won.

The ones kneeling down are strategically positioning
 themselves to take a marker and run away before a leprechaun catches them.

 If a leprechaun touched someone who took a marker, that person was required to put it back in the hoop and go back to his/her team's corner before being able to play again.

Cesar Bautista, a leprechaun, is sitting on his pot.
He will not let anyone take his gold.

After each round, Kayla Dinsdale, TEAM's site coordinator who planned the game, would alter the rules, sometimes asking for suggestions on which new rules to use. These included the amount of leprechauns in the round as well as the amount of players that could steal at one time. During the final round, students could even steal from other teams' hula hoops.

"It was intense, honestly," said Phoebe Toledo, a high school student who attends TEAM regularly. "It was just all over the place and the rules kept changing and it was ridiculously fun."

According to Toledo, Monday's health and nutrition games are often played with rule changes to explore different ways of playing them, to learn creativity and practice adaptability.

TEAM Opens New Site Focused on Academics

TEAM has opened a new site at Logan High School (LHS), where students will have one hour dedicated to homework rather than thirty minutes. For students needing extra help with their homework, ESL students, and those with an ACT test date in the near future, this may be a better choice for them.

TEAM members at Wilson Elementary doing
homework while Kayla Dinsdale
 writes on the whiteboard

Wilson Elementary School is still open for those who will benefit most from the balance of academic tutoring, 4H enhancement and service.

According to Kayla Dinsdale, TEAM's site coordinator, the after-school club opened LHS primarily for students who need extra help with doing homework, preparing for ACTs, filling out applications, receiving scholarships, and anything else related to academics. Much of what TEAM does at Wilson are still done at LHS, but the time allotted for the enhancement activities like 4-H and service is shorter so that the focus is more on school work and academic tutoring.

Logan High School computer lab
 where TEAM members do homework

Some students also attend Logan High School out of convenience. Some students have not been able to attend TEAM due to their inability or the inconvenience of getting to Wilson.

"This is where I go to school, and it's easier to get here," said Erick Carrillo, a high school sophomore who attends TEAM at LHS. "I'm already here."

Cesar Bautista standing in front of the whiteboard
 at Wilson Elementary School

Those who want to go to Wilson do it for the service experience, the opportunity to mentor younger students, and the scholarship opportunity. Every day, thirty minutes are set aside for members to mentor elementary students attending after-school clubs. In doing so they are earning $5/day towards a scholarship that can be used for post secondary education after they graduate from high school. In addition, the Wilson site has a very heavy focus on youth leadership development through service. Students are provided many opportunities to serve their peers as leaders of the various 4-H clubs and service projects.

"It's a good experience," said Cesar Bautista, a high school junior who attends TEAM at Wilson. "It helps you learn how to work with kids, it's pretty fun, and it gives you a good feeling."

Here are the scheduling specifics and a short summary of each site:

Logan High Site  2:45-5:00PM 

2:45-3:00 Snack

3:00-3:15 TEAM building

3:15-4:15 Academic Time

4:15-4:40 4H Topic 

4:40-5:00 Service

TEAM Logan High Site is for students that have a difficult time making it over to Wilson Elementary AND/OR they need additional support in academics/ACT/Scholarships/Applications. This site has all the same components as the Wilson Site but they are condensed so that we can have additional time on homework etc. This site is also more of a one-to-one mentoring set up. We have the USU Business Department Huntsman Scholars helping us this semester as well as a group from a management class at USU, so we are able to provide individualized tutoring for every student.

Wilson Elementary Site  3:00-5:30PM

3:00-3:15  Snack

3:15-3:30  TEAM Building 

3:30-4:00  4H Topics 

4:00-4:30  After School Club kids Clubs Time (Mentoring)

4:30-5:00  Academics

5:00-5:30  Service

The Wilson Site is for students that would like a balance of the key TEAM components (academic tutoring, 4-H clubs and service) and would like additional leadership skills, more service (we do .5 hr service every day and serve the Wilson after-school club for .5 hr daily), and the $5 scholarship to any college/university of their choice per day- up to $20 per week.

Youth Leadership Summit 2014!

On February 28^th, 2014, the Cache Valley Volunteer Center sponsored a Youth Leadership Summit. This event was held on the Utah State University campus and was designed to teach high school students a variety of leadership skills with an emphasis on the fact that all of the youth can become leaders and get involved in service in their community.

Students from all three local high schools were invited: Mountain Crest, Skyview, and Logan High School. There were 181 students who pre-registered for the event. The event consisted of a wide variety of workshops, great speakers, and an opportunity to participate in multiple service projects.

The day started with a meet and greet that the students participated in while waiting for others to arrive and before they split into groups. A light breakfast was also served, and the youth got to know each other by playing a game where the students would throw a beach ball with questions written on it to each other. When a student caught the ball they would answer a question about themselves from the ball.

Students listening to their classmate answer a question about themselves

After the meet and greet, the students were split into groups for a couple of workshops focused on key leadership qualities the youth need to develop, and also showed that anyone can be a leader.

Workshop 1: Who/What is a Leader?

This activity involved making a "board of directors" of things that were leaders and helped guide people in their lives. Allowed to pick real people, fictional people, or animals, the students were able to come up with a wide variety of role models and leaders in their life. Multiple people picked their pets, but the most common had to be Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter!

Group of Students showing their own Board of Directors

Workshop 2: Problem Solving as a Leader

When people encounter a problem, someone needs to take charge and solve the problem they have encountered. Sometimes they need to work together or bend the rules in order to make a decision and sometimes they don't have much time to make the decision. The second workshop students participated in was a game called "Musical Paper Bags". This game involved students having to all be touching a bag with their foot. They had to move around while music was playing and once time was up they all had 3 seconds to be touching the bags. It was easy at first because of all of the paper bags but after every round, more and more bags were taken away. Students started to get crafty by putting their feet in the bags to make more room, or ripping the bag up into smaller pieces so more people could fit their feet on it.

Working together to get their feet on the bags caused trouble and some people even tried to think about themselves instead of as a team.

Workshop 3: Communication is more than Words

Leaders do not just need to talk, sometimes they need to communicate by actions, signs, or writing. Leaders are not always around to help others and need to be able to communicate besides just talking. That is why for the final workshop the students did a silent line up. The object of this activity is to get people in a certain order (alphabetically, youngest to oldest, etc.) without leaving the tape and without talking. They had to work together to move past each other. Certain groups had difficulty because multiple leaders emerged but didn't communicate with each other. Others didn't specify what their age or name was correctly so they didn't end up in the right spot. Some groups wanted to do different line up challenges and had to line up alphabetically by their favorite animal! 

This group used hand signals to communicate their middle names

This group used animal signs to line up by their favorite animal

Following the workshops the students had a wonderful experience of listening to the newly elected mayor of Logan City, Mayor Craig Peterson. He spoke to them about how people who had no connections, no power, and who were maybe even unheard of rise up and become amazing leaders. He explained to them how leadership isn't something you are born with; it's a set of skills you can develop and anyone can become a leader if they are willing to put forth the effort. 

Timothy McFall presenting Craig Peterson with a book about service titled "Changing the World"
The book was signed by the students, thanking him for speaking to us.

This event was sponsored by the Cache Valley Volunteer Center in support of their newly forming YOUth Advisory Council. The YOUth Advisory Council was designed to get students involved in service, to provide opportunities for networking and collaboration, to provide resources to youth service groups throughout the valley, and to help the schools work together to better the community

Next came lunch- pizza, salad, and lots of goodies!

  

Following lunch the students participated in several different service projects and learned how they can get more involved on campus and help certain groups on campus.

   

Students wrote to people serving in the military
"Letters to Soldiers" is a project to help those who serve know that
 they are loved and important to those who don't even know them.


Students also wrote to the elderly and made cards to be delivered to the local assisted living center.
This project sponsored by Generations United,  MetLife Foundation and AARP's MentorUp! initiative. 

Another service project involved having the students make safe driving posters encouraging drivers to follow the rules of the road, not drink and drive, nor use their phones while driving and just be courteous to others on the road. This project went along with a year-long YOUth in the Driver's Seat initiative, sponsored by State Farm and Youth Service America (YSA). It also provided an excellent kick-off event for the ActOutLoud/AllState Foundation Safe Driving rallies that each of the high schools will be planning and hosting in April.

 

Another favorite service project was a collaboration with Aggie Bikes. Students learned proper bike safety and basic bike mechanic tips. They were also taught how they can help Aggie Blue Bikes to support their future colleagues and classmates who attend USU.

Students also had an opportunity to participate in two service presentations:
Nicole Crow from Options for Independence talked to the youth about how to involve youth with disabilities and appropriate vocabulary to use when referring to persons with disabilities.

Also, Valeria, one of the TEAM Mentoring youth leaders, reported on her recent humanitarian trip to Samoa.
She helped the other students learn how they can get involved in similar travel opportunities through volunteer work.

    

This event was a great success and we are thankful for all the help we received!

Many thanks to Service for Peace (www.serviceforpeace.org) and the Commission on Civic and Character Education for funding this event. Without them it would not have been possible. 

Also we want like to thank Generations United, MetLife Foundation, MentorUp!, Aggie Blue Bikes, Youth Service America, and State Farm for providing us with service projects for the students to do. 

A huge Thank You to the Cache Food Pantry for donating breakfast and goodies to go with lunch.

Thank you to Mayor Peterson for speaking with the students and most importantly we would like to thank the students and leaders who came to the event to learn how to be a leader and how they can help serve in the community. Without these people, the world would not become a better place!

If you would like more information about getting involved with the Cache Valley Volunteer Center's YOUth Advisory Council you can email us at info@cachevolunteercenter.org or CLICK HERE to fill out the application form.