• PART ONE – HANDS ON – HOW TO PAVE THE PATH TO TEAMWORK

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same." Flavia The guidelines for this community outreach unit can be successfully used throughout the year in any community. Begin the groundwork three months ahead of whatever target date you set in order to glean the necessary community support. Suggested target dates for special projects are Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

I believe that is my responsibility as an educator to teach our young not just about their rights, but also about the value of enthusiastically embracing their responsibilities as caring, committed, respectful, resourceful members of society. I believe that when youths work together as a collective consciousness for the common good with a shared vision, intensity of purpose and a mission clearly articulated, understood and embraced by all participants, race relations becomes a non-issue as multicultural barriers melt away. At an individual and community level, project participants experience enhanced self-esteem and self-worth while knowing the satisfaction of a team effort well done. At a global level, students examine situations from multiple perspectives, recognizing themselves as siblings in the world family of humankind.

In 1989, I left William Berczy Public School in Markham, Ontario, after a year of being bullied, vowing "never to return." Six years later, when the school was under new administration, I ate those words, bringing my Dancers for Harmony from Doncrest P.S. on Fridays after school as volunteers, teaching a small group of interested students a varied repertoire which we performed around the Greater Metro Toronto area. In 1996, I transferred back to William Berczy P.S. as a full time teacher, remaining on staff for three years. I believed that Berczy students were mainly self-centered. Three years of action research and working closely with adolescents from this school on the "Kids Who Care" Youth Leadership development project, caused a paradigm shift in my perception. I realized that most of all, youths needed was awareness, encouragement, appreciation and the support of a dependable adult advisor. When I backed off too much, I realized that students need an adult advisor who believes in them, providing steady support until they have enough confidence and experience to take the reins themselves. I now believe that the joy of giving can and should be learned. Three years of trial and error, followed by four years of official experimentation with this concept within the framework of action-based research and working successfully on various collaborative good will projects with several hundred students from two different elementary school communities, Doncrest Public School in Richmond Hill and then William Berczy P.S., in Unionville, have taught me that positive student leadership development projects with a meaningful focus help build a better society. Student leaders of today are the adult leaders of tomorrow.

The purpose of this article is to share with you my successes as a "guide on the side", in facilitating the process of helping human beings develop new qualities such as learning to care for the feelings and welfare of others. Using a step-by-step approach, it is easy to integrate outcome based learning objectives from the areas of guidance, language arts, art. geography, mathematics, and science and technology. Actively using their Working Together for Student Success OBL curriculum overview handbooks for parents/guardians from York Region Board of Education during and after the process, in small workgroups, students have readily identified common skills, attitudes and concepts which they have addressed , assessed and mastered in a variety of areas.

• Brainstorm student definitions for GIVING and RECEIVING. Distinguish between giving and lending. Compare student definitions to dictionary definitions.
• Brainstorm and later discuss expressions and sayings dealing with the concept of GIVING. Students will come up with ideas like: "The best things in life are free." "Beware of strangers bearing gifts." (related to the idea of the Trojan horse). "A fool and his money are easily parted." "Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth." "There are givers and takers." "What goes around comes around." "You reap what you sow." "The meek will inherit the earth." "Money doesn’t grow on trees." "To thine own self be true." "You get what you deserve." "Charity begins at home." "Love of money will destroy everybody, but if you love others first, money is a tool." "Cast your bread upon the waters, and it will come back to you." "Never envy the rich. We all come into this world with nothing and go out with a set of clothes." "When poverty comes in the door, love goes out the window." "Donations are just a Band-Aid solution." "Don’t accept any wooden nickels." "hand-me-downs "the gift of Life"
• Go over the misnomer "Indian giver". Have students define what their understanding of the term means to them, which is generally "someone who gives you something and then takes it back". This stereotypical term is racist against First Nations People and utterly wrong, reflecting a total misconception of giving amongst Native peoples. In the Native tradition, I have learned that often a gift, like a power stone, is kept while it is of use and then goes on to someone else who needs it perhaps even more. A gift often symbolizes an idea. The thought behind the gift has greater value to the recipient than the gift itself. This gift which passes through as many hands as needed, can do great good. In the traditional Native way, there is no poverty, for goods are shared at Potlatches and give-aways and individuals are cared for within the community. There are many different reasons for giving gifts. I believe that "the gifts that come from the heart, where the giver seeks nothing in return, are the most powerful." Some gifts are given permanently, with the understanding that the recipient will keep them. Others move on to do good again.
• Brainstorm government social assistance programs that exist to help people experiencing financial and other kinds of difficulty.
• Identify areas in your community where there are needs to be addressed. Identify organizations that help to address these needs. Discuss and prioritize local community needs. Select an area or two upon which you and your classmates wish to focus.
• Decide whether the project is going to be teacher-directed or student-led.
• Do an inventory of parent occupations in order to find out what kinds of adult expertise could be available to the group.
• Prior to undertaking the project, I have found it wise to share my intentions at a staff meeting. Thus colleagues feel well-informed and know that they are welcome but not obligated, to be involved if they so choose. "No surprises" is a good rule of thumb.
• Send a letter home to the parents to inform them of the project which you and your students wish to undertake, soliciting their support, explaining which parts of the project will involve classroom time and which will be extra-curricular. Leave room for parent commentary and feedback. At this time it is good to have FOI-POP release forms signed in case any students have their pictures taken, are videotaped or are later interviewed by the media. Keep these on file for future reference.

Once sensitized to needs in their community, students need to be provided with the necessary tools to take action. As I see it, NURTURING takes place during what I call the "incubation stage" of the proposed project. At this stage, students learn to receive. Then when it comes time for them to give through their efforts, they will experience joy as they find the balance. To only receive or only give is not good. One must learn both.

On an ATTITUDINAL LEVEL , it is important for students to understand the self and others. This is an essential prerequisite in dealing with different personality types during the project. Various ice breaker activities and easy-to-use commercial tools are available.

• Students can complete a multiple intelligences inventory to help them identify their areas of personal strengths.
• The True Colours workshops facilitated in many of our school boards are also available in a modified student version targeted at high school students, but perfectly suitable for our mainstream intermediate classes. They help identify four basic personality types. As part of their leadership training, students can participate in the True Colours: The Key to Being a Successful Student three hour training session which will help promote feelings of pride, dignity, self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence as well as build a sense of community in the classroom and improve communications skills. At the end of the session, I provide students with orange, blue, gold and green paper which they cut in relative proportion (percentages) to show how they perceive themselves. They then cut them artistically, placing them on a 2 1/2" X 8" name card, bearing their first name in cut-out letters or calligraphy on the front and positive adjectives describing themselves on the back. These colors name cards are then laminated and taped to the fronts of their desks. At a glance, all can see that we each have characteristics in varying proportion from all quadrants. The differences are appreciated within the commonalties.
• My favorite is the Positive Habit Development training offered by SUCCESS INSTITUTE listed in the resources section, which I piloted with my grade homeroom eight class at Doncrest P.S. and used again in September, 1997 for intermediate student leadership training at William Berczy P.S. A number of students involved in these training sessions have gone on to do volunteer work in their local communities. This program was specifically designed to promote positive attitudes, confidence, self-esteem, balance, highly developed presentation and interpersonal skills and the ability to understand and identify different basic personality types, using easy to conceptualize animal imagery rather than colors. My students found this program highly beneficial in integrating success principals into their character through role playing in a supportive environment. Many improvements were noted in student performance, attitudes, behavior and attendance.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS must be modeled and learned.

• Identify potential sponsors. Using local telephone books, directories, newspapers and magazines, students located businesses which could be approached when soliciting support for the project. These were entered into the computer and typed up on a master list. Once we had divided up the telephone contacts to ensure that there would be no irritating overlap, the students were then able to do their "telephone homework" and report back next day.
• Teach basic telephone etiquette. Cooperatively with students, I developed written telephone scripts which they used to obtain basic information such as correct name spelling, title, address with postal code, fax and e-mail number, when approaching potential donors of goods or moneys on the phone. These scripts were tailored to their specific needs for their project. Students also had a recording sheet which we developed together for transcribing basic information. Various scenarios are enacted through role-play to prepare students in handling the whole spectrum of responses from yes to noncommittal fence-sitting to disappointing "no’s. In some cases, we did a three-way telephone call in order to give extra support to ESL students. Once students had mastered the technique, they made local calls from home.
• Teach business letter writing. Within the context of language arts class, students collectively created letters to solicit donations, a form thank you letter to acknowledge donations which could be completed and submitted "on the spot" and a follow-up thank you letter stating total collective results of the good will project at its conclusion. Students personally approaching businesses required written parental permission beforehand and a letter to present to business owners from the teacher co-signed by the principal on school letterhead to authenticate the students’ legitimate involvement in the project.
• Organize a class walking trip. Perhaps as part of your grade seven local community mapping and orienteering unit in geography you are making a class walking trip with the help of a couple of parent chaperones and an area development map to local businesses. The new grade eight geography expectations on economics from the Ontario Ministry of Education’s 1998 curriculum, is equally suitable for building business partnerships. When working on the Dancers for Harmony Goodwill Project at Doncrest P.S., my students were assigned specific business addresses in the local Beaver Creek Area which they visited to request business cards for later telephone follow-up. This enabled us in the course of one afternoon to make over two hundred business contacts with a subsequent 13.6% success rate in requests for donations. In Markham, with the Care Bears and Kids Who Care Projects, we built up a portfolio of support from the towns of Markham, Unionville and Stouffville – communities in which our students lived.
• Help students organize committees. First, students applied to be part of the project writing why they should be selected. 30 Care Bear Caravan students spanning grades six to eight, based at William Berczy P.S. and 1 Langstaff Secondary School Dancer for Harmony cooperatively created 17 committees as jobs arose, for which they elected leaders from interested members. It was possible for students to serve on more than one committee according to their interests and aptitudes. They came up with the following committees: Edible Building Replica Construction, Raffle Ticket, Written and Fax Communications, Business Telephone Contact, Internet Web Page Development, Community Face to Face Contact, Donation Packaging and Assembly Line, Goodwill Delivery Caravan, Project Bulletin Board, Public Relations Advertising, Art Gallery/ Women’s Shelter Contact Correspondents, Project Photography, Accounting and Winners Notification. Students developed job descriptions for each committee. In addition to making a committee report at weekly "business luncheon" meetings, the leader of each committee kept a folder containing any relevant information as well as a daily log of committee activities, including prioritized items. Each committee member kept a personal log of time invested plus active contributions to the project such as preparing press releases, fax cover sheets, designing tickets, creating posters and preparing prize displays in a glass case . For some committees, special forms were cooperatively developed to keep track of communication with donor accounts. With the new Ontario government requirement of forty hours of community service in order to graduate from secondary school, it is easy to obtain support from principals for student-led community outreach.
• Invite a local bank representative to give a simple lesson on balancing the books.
• Teach how to run a meeting and set an agenda. The agenda, set prior to the meeting, is distributed to committee leaders. The responsibility of the chairperson, once modeled by the teacher, is rotated. I served as secretary to type the minutes of each Monday lunch meeting on my laptop. After several meetings were modeled, students took over. All meetings were videotaped for video feedback and later inclusion in our Web Site. Parents from the community who attended our meetings expressed their delight with the professionalism of the students. Committee leaders then met with their members to delegate responsibilities, setting deadlines for the accomplishment of various tasks. The frequency with which subcommittees met depended on the nature of their tasks at various points during the project. Some required additional lunch recess time with my classroom as headquarters. Most were able to work outside school hours. The minutes were delivered to all members in their respective classrooms on Tuesday mornings, as well as to administration for their files. This essential follow-up allowed students to review what they had accomplished , while reinforcing individual commitments. "I forgot" as in a real business, was not acceptable. Students who didn’t perform adequately could be excused from the project. Students who "worked" for the project could not be raffle ticket winners. We tried to make the experience as realistic as possible.
• Chastise in private. Praise in public. Every step of the way, students need to know what they are doing right and what can be refined to help them achieve even greater success. Acknowledge their efforts verbally and in person. Be a motivator with post-it notes and stickers. Bring treats to some of the meetings.
• Icing on the Cake? If your students are eligible, Junior Achievement’s new one day program The Economics of Staying in School (ESIS) is available to grade eight students only, at no cost. Trained volunteers working with classroom teachers help guide students in making good choices about staying in school and planning a career path. The program helps students discover the cost of living in today’s society and the importance of higher education for providing more options that can lead to the students’ desired lifestyles. It gives the students a more realistic view of adult responsibilities and the economics of daily living. A secondary benefit of this training is an increased awareness of how, they as adults can avoid the pitfalls of inadequate financial planning.
• Thank local contributing businesses and individuals. Students organized media events to draw attention to their project and obtain local support, inviting owners of local businesses and our town Mayor. At the end of each year, they published a thank you letter acknowledging contributors in the school year book which went home to all school community families.

PART 4: THE HARVEST - REAPING THE REWARDS OF EFFORT

Seeing the results of their efforts is the most exciting part for students. At this stage, youths truly recognize the value of "giving" in the spirit of citizenship in the global community. Our tradition began at Doncrest P.S. Amongst the accomplishments of homeroom students and Dancers for Harmony were:

• FUNDRAISING

a) bring speakers from various ethnic groups to the school

b) purchase a handheld videocamera recorder and accessories for Doncrest P.S.

c) purchase a class set of plays by Drew Hayden Taylor for First Nations School in Toronto

d) purchase dance regalia for the Dancers for Harmony

e) 90 student hand-sewn cloth Christmas gift bags for women and children

• SOLICITING DONATIONS of GOODS AND MONIES for

Yellow Brick House, Sandgate Women’s Shelter and Rose of Sharon

This tradition continued at William Berczy Public School, adding the Markham Pregnancy Crisis Centre and the Markham Food Bank to the list.

• FUNDRAISING through RAFFLE TICKET sales on a student-made replica of the art gallery with thirty-six consolation prizes from local businesses to raise $1000 for the local Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery of Markham as well as on subsequent gingerbread houses for Hallowe’en, Christmas and Valentine’s Days in support of our two adopted children in Guatemala
• SOLICITING DONATIONS OF GOODS for the ticket raffle as well as for Yellow Brick House and Sandgate Women’s Shelter

Male and female students have made many visits to the women’s shelters over these past seven years with the help of parent and teacher driver chaperones. The community is so aware of their work now, that donations are often dropped off anonymously at the front foyer of school headquarters. In addition to "tangibles", students continue to "give" in other ways by their public dance performances and poetry readings focusing on social and environmental issues. Students have performed in a variety of settings in the Greater Metro Toronto Area and across Ontario, from Harbourfront to city halls to communities on the Pow Wow trail. It is beyond the school that the students realized the far-reaching implications of their actions. Feedback from communities beyond the school has had the most meaningful impact on project participants.

In December, 1997, at Sandgate Women’s shelter, for instance, a mother had arrived the night before our caravan with her newborn baby and no clothes. A diaper service had provided us with three pails of baby clothes and reusable diapers. One of the moms had made eight receiving blankets. She and her daughter who were part of the caravan were thrilled that their visit was so timely and the recipient considered their visit a "gift" from God. Two months later, Tim Woo, one of our boys whose heart was deeply touched, personally presented an afghan crocheted by his grandmother. He went on the following year to become president of Kids Who Care.

Student satisfaction was highly evident in all student response sheets evaluating the experience. Some students have been involved in the program since its inception. Lots more are hoping to be accepted in September. Call us if you’d like a hands-on workshop or visit us at Markham District High School, room seven, to see student leaders in action . Yours can lead too in the area of community service. They just need guides who believe in them.

• Junior Achievement of Metro Toronto and York Region.. Call Mr. George Habib, President and CEO at 416-360-JAJA One day program for grade eights.
• SUCCESS INSTITUTE - Learn-Do-Teach, 9251-8 Yonge St. Suite 186, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 9T3 Tel: 905-889-5417 Fax: 905-889-8474. Excellent workshops. Manuals . Excellent for grades seven and up.
• Contact TVOntario Customer Service regarding WORKSEARCH at 1-800-INFO-TVO or 1 800 463-6886. This resource explores a wide range of career options while satisfying the career education components of the Common Curriculum. Pages 10 and 11 "Camp Wachawanabee" deal with six different colours and personality types.

Bopp, Judie; Bopp, Michael; Brown, Lee and Lane, Phil. The Sacred Tree: Reflections on Native American Spirituality. (c) 1984, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4 ISBN 0-941524-58-2 87 p.

This book deals with finding balance in our lives.

PART TWO: POSITIVE STUDENT LEADERSHIP – AN ACTION-BASED RESEARCH PROJECT

Sustaining teacher inquiry: The "Kids Who Care" Leadership Development Curriculum Action Research Project." This Canadian-born project, conceived in Markham, Ontario, has had positive life-changing impacts on all student participants. Providing youths with a sense of purpose, it can be replicated throughout the world, geared to the specific needs of any given community. To spread peace throughout the world, gain members on every continent and help others is the three-fold purpose of the international "Kids Who Care/Jeunes Altruistes" student-led organization which sprouted as a result of my action-based research. The group whom I have helped guide into existence, shares this vision: "Unity in solidarity, serving those in need." Justin Vanditzhuyzen, Public Relations, traveled about Holland for two weeks in May, 1999 soliciting new members. His mother, who is skilled in Dutch translation, will be helping to incorporate the Dutch language into the site. Monique Dufault, leader of the Web Site development team, followed suit in Belgium for three weeks in July. Under the confident leadership of experienced members, the project has now taken on a life of its own. The new president, Nitasha Puri, is promoting development of student voice through a focus on honing debating and public speaking skills in collaboration with community groups providing real outlets for public competition starting this fall. Past presidents, Alex Shum and Jessica van der Vooren, and members Karin Chu, Taylor Lougheed and Krista Burkholder, specially trained in these areas, willingly share their expertise with others. Instead of competing with LEAD, a well-established leadership development program at Markham District High School, KWC/JA is working to support it while expanding to embrace new leadership development experiences. Those who have the courage to leave known shores, have the opportunity to discover new horizons.

My adult life has been a quest of positive leadership wherein, following a significant emotional event, I examined first subconsciously, then more systematically, formal as well as informal leadership styles. This thirst to truly understand leadership came as a result of critical moments I had experienced along life’s journey. I took this course because I had been labeled a "transformational teacher" and wanted to know what that was. During the International Research Conference in Quebec held from April 23 to April 26, after much reflection and discussion with other educators, I came to understand their interconnectedness, seeing with "new eyes." Our questions, like our mission are an integral part of who we are. Personal inquiry focused on leadership development has helped me to "intentionally" define and refine my work in this area. There is no one recipe for the perfect leader. We must choose what best fits and feels right for who and where we are.

In 1988, I had returned to the mainstream English language school after a number of years in a very safe, respectful French immersion teaching/learning environment. The day before I began to teach in my new position, my portable was trashed by students whom I had not yet met. During 1988-1989, which had been the turning point in my career, feeling powerless, I witnessed and experienced a myriad of types of abuse from an adult in power as well as students out of control. I almost quit the teaching profession. Every morning I went to work at the new place with my stomach in a knot, wondering what would happen next. I did a lot of crying that year. Our board had no "safe schools" policy in place at that time. Weighed down by a burden of proof, I was too afraid of the repercussions of speaking out. Victimized, I was locked into the first brain "flight or fight" response. Today I know it is much better to creatively "surrender to change" as an opportunity for improvement, learning to "work smarter" instead of harder and to "do more with less.". Also, I finally internalized an invaluable lesson: "To say nothing is to say something. To do nothing is to do something". By their very silence, victims give their aggressors permission to continue perpetrating – "doing to" them. I left the "school from hell", gasping "my soul is dying here", swearing to God that I would NEVER return. That summer, I wrote a cathartic seven voice play called "Gang Rap" to purge my pain. At that time, I never dreamt that I would later perform with students for teachers from around the province of Ontario as part of my provincial development workshop "Empowering Victims and Educating Bullies." Proactive positive student empowerment and leadership development would become my way of weeding societal problems manifesting in the form of juvenile delinquency. I believe that many of our students come to school emotionally starving and spiritually empty, often abused and neglected, hungry for the very nourishment that we are so afraid to give in our schools. Spirituality and religion are too often confused. So many teachers’ own lives are out of balance. We forget that young people learn what they live. How we act as authentic role models has far more impact than what we say. I decided that I would become the gardener nurturing human potential in the fertile soil of the heart. I believe that children, who are twenty-five percent of our population, are one hundred percent of our future. I believe they can learn to be leaders today, refining those skills tomorrow.

From September, 1988 to June,1989 was the worst year of my teaching career but also in many respects, my best for it gave birth to my public voice. I had awakened to assuming responsibility for my professional growth and to consciously intentioned, proactive development of positive youth leaders. My role as a transformational leader evolved gradually, almost imperceptibly in response to the indignities that I had suffered. Like my students who later followed me and then chose their own paths, I became an agent of change. Today, I am grateful for having had that catalytic learning experience which was the starting point of many positive changes that would help me develop my leadership abilities and in turn result in me being able to facilitate that process for others. Later I would come to understand this saying: "Great leaders are bred from great causes, but leaders, at their best, also breed great causes." That summer, tired of the victim-bully syndrome, I began reading a lot of spiritual and psychological self-help books, thirsting for knowledge, healing, enlightenment and answers. Over time, I’ve come to understand that often well posed questions lead to informed action and more questions. I engaged in significant work to promote proactive race relations as well as to deal appropriately with bully and gang-like behaviour. I was determined to help other teachers and students proactively do the same, so seemingly insignificant problems could be nipped in the bud, rather than fester and expand. I was not yet involved in systematic action research. Administrative leadership seemed to me to be mainly micro-management of the top down old factory school model variety which I had outlined in my chart for our group presentation on Fiske’s definition of Smart Schools. The dynamic certainly fit the one described by Dr. Donna Schnorr, Ph.D.from California State University, San Bernardino, in her oral presentation entitled "Partnering the University Field Experience Research Model with Action Research". During her lecture, Donna expanded on how traditional teacher practitioners have been "done to" in a quantitative, deductive, top-down "power" approach rather than done "for" or "with" in a more collaborative "smart schools" mode accompanied by a qualitative, inductive one at a grass roots level.

In September of 1989, I assumed the responsibility of lead teacher for the intermediate division of a new elementary school still under construction. We were housed at a temporary campus of portables on the property of an existing older "host" school. I was determined that history would not repeat itself, that I would never be "done to" again, that through a proactive attitude and carefully planned, "intentional change", I would create a sense of belonging and community amongst our members long before the physical foundation of the new school was laid. I understood that change comes from within. I knew that peace would have to begin with me. The first week of school, I organized a dual school popcorn day, a corn roast and the creation of cornhusk dolls wrapped onto five Olympic rings. Each of these events received media photo coverage. Our students felt a sense of "identity" and belonging. When we moved into our newly-constructed building the following May, this collective work of art was the first item to go up in our school library. The students were so proud! I remember Ghandi, the powerful "passivist" who said: "Be the changes you want to see in the world." If we want anything to change within an organization, it is necessary for people within it to change. So many of us live in fear. It is imbedded in our language. I consciously chose to live in faith instead of fear, operating proactively from a point of inspiration instead of reactively from a "first brain" point of desperation. I consistently modeled the concept of mutual respect. The aboriginal peoples of North America believe we tend to teach the lessons upon which we are working for ourselves. Now, I know that "free will" allows us to choose the future we wish to create. I grew and strengthened along with my grade eight students at my new "school from heaven" for seven years. This school by the way was not perfect, just as we humans are not. I had invaluable lessons here too especially in the areas of fairness, equity, politics and nepotism. When I felt strong enough to face my fears, I returned to the "school from hell" where I had learned my hardest lessons. I would complete the cycle. My accumulated leadership experiences would now help me evolve to a new level of understanding, compassion and strength. I had learned to look at learning experiences differently as well. How we interpret the experiences more than the experiences themselves determines to a large extent how we will evolve or devolve as a result. I would learn the humble lesson that youths learn "outreach" and altruism, moving away from egocentric focus when they are taught to examine their interaction with the world through new "lenses." We cannot expect this process to happen to youths all by itself when they are left to their own means without adult guidance and support. They need that safety zone. Youths, yes, even like Craig Kielberger, the fourteen year old who established the "Free the Children" organization, cannot be deprived of some sort of mentor, advisor or "guide on the side" applauding and supporting them from the sidelines. His entire family is mobilized to support his vision.

In September, 1995, with the help of "school from heaven" student leaders I facilitated an extra-curricular "Dancers for Harmony" dance practice on Fridays after school at my former "school from hell." In a manner of speaking, my soul and I consciously got our feet wet before jumping back in again. Many of the school "players" had changed. I had changed. In September, 1996, I returned, prepared to battle proactively for positive citizenship and proactive race relations. I became part of that school’s first action-based research team, examining ways to help teacher practitioners work easily within the framework of the four quadrants of the collectively-created "World at our Doorsteps" vision for teacher supervision for growth. At my former school, evolving through various names, "Dancers for Harmony" had become a highly successful teacher-directed, student-led community outreach group whose motto was "Seek harmony within the Self, with Humankind and Mother Earth". In 1996, I also initiated the "Care Bears", an offshoot of the group established at my previous school. Their motto became "helping the less fortunate". Dancing diminished. Community outreach increased. Later they evolved to become the "Kids Who Care" student-initiated organization in October, 1997. There would be no confusion with existing trade mark names.

On April 28, 1998 I graduated from the "Leadership for the New Millenium" course sponsored by York Region District School Board and OSSTF. In July, 1998, within the context of the Principal Part II qualification course, as part of my assigned focus group, I experimented with "team building" co-creating an interactive workshop on "team building for the new Millennium", supported by "first brain" visual props such as construction worker hard hats, bright orange Town of Markham crossing guard vests, construction zone signs and banners. In parallel, I helped facilitate the process with adults and youths of developing of a collective vision and mission statements. My work as an informal leader in drama and community outreach incorporating multiple intelligences and perspectives into activities with grades six to eight students grew out from my own personal learning experiences, extending into the classroom and into extracurricular activities. That school which gave me my hardest but greatest teachings has become in my heart the "yin/yang" school, the place where I completed the cycle of learning, bringing my teachings and learnings into balance. I learned that youths and adults aren’t bad or good. There are the parts of us that are "healed" and the parts in need of "healing." As humans, we are all a combination of both, needing to be uplifted, inspired and empowered in good ways. We evolve best in collaborative endeavours rather than in a vacuum. Although the focus of my action research has now expanded to incorporate a separate from project dealing with "Error analysis and the use of corrective grammar", "Developing Positive Student Leaders" which became the intentional focus of my first "solo" Curriculum Action Research Project, has remained as sustained inquiry. Involvement in this program has transformed many aspects of my life. Perhaps my inquiry is sustained and evolving from reflective to reflexive because I have become a mature action-based researcher with three years experience. I believe however that this process continues, it has become who I am, the primary reason why I teach, and the fuel that feeds my sacred fire. I have discovered that aspects of developing positive student leaders can even be incorporated into French lessons.

On April 19, 1999, I left that the "Kids Who Care" student-led, student-directed headquarters, which continues to sustain itself. Participants continued to hold their weekly luncheon meetings, under the supervision of Juliet Sesanker-Daniels, one of my student teachers. Students collaborated with the local Bank of Montreal who did a fundraising barbecue for them. The students have elected their president for next year and are moving their headquarters to a high school. She is already hard at work, writing letters on freshly-designed letterhead and making community connections. The student teacher, under contract for next year, will be starting up another chapter at her new school where she will begin her first time teaching position. KWC/JA continues to sustain itself with mainly e-mail support from me. I suspect that project participants involved over the past three years have also become more mature inquirers. New members revolve in and others move on to other pursuits taking their knowledge and attitudes with them. Two of the oldest members, one in OAC and the other in grade nine, have been recognized by our board of education for their community outreach. You may read about them by visiting their website at http://www.interlog.com/~kidscare . Honouring my promise to this group, I promote them whenever possible, passing out their business cards when I do workshops at various conferences, helping them to further expand their sphere of influence, even as my own grows.

My original question in the "Kids Who Care" Project: Developing Positive Student Leaders was "How can I empower students to become positive leaders?" This was important to me because I believe that leadership is not inherent, it is learned. I also strongly believe that students must stretch beyond claiming their rights to embracing their responsibilities as responsible, respectful, resourceful, caring citizens contributing to society. I have learned that a focussed question, when clearly articulated, points the way to data collection, some answers and often more questions. Through this particular inquiry, I sought to investigate the impact of consciously developing student leadership skills on attitudes, citizenship and proactive race relations, in direct support of our board policies and my recent school’s vision. I have experimented with all six leadership styles described in Leithwood’s book Changing Leadership for Changing Times, finally understanding that about the "only constant in life is change." Business community partnerships supported related extracurricular and integrated classroom activities. Student and teacher-based data for this project have included well documented reflection journals, surveys, photographs, audiotaped and live interviews, plus videotaped segments of student-led meetings demonstrating the reflective process "in action". I believe that reflective teacher inquiry is one of the best ways of creating "smart schools" which successfully address contemporary student needs in our changing socioeconomic climate in the context of an increasingly information-based society. My challenge as a transformational leader and researcher is to convince already overburdened colleagues that "action-based" research is an easily integrated, viable "solution" that will make their jobs of facilitating and assessing the learning process in their respective domains easier. I take great delight in watching this process help students transform themselves into active problem-based co-inquirers who work as a team to address issues that they identify. How empowering! What pride of ownership! Skills that I have learned to effectively transfer to my new area of inquiry have become natural applications for my students, in turn, for identifying and addressing their own "burning" questions.

Three years into action research, I recognize the tremendous impact that informal transformational, enlightened leadership rooted in action-based research could have when a climate of trust, credibility and intelligent risk-taking is created. Formerly self-effacing, today I realize the importance of putting "I" into "team", knowing that acknowledging my own personal contributions enhances the overall success of the group. I have discovered that replacing bad, ineffective habits with good ones takes about twenty-one days of consistent practice to become ingrained. I have learned that both leadership and charisma can be taught. I believe that all students have the right to an education that will help them reach their full potential whatever that may be and that it is paramount that we put the welfare of students first while maintaining balance in our own lives. A true leader "walks the talk." Transformational leadership is a powerful stimulant to improvement. I have noted the long term impact on students who have lived this process with me through my leadership development program. When at least one adult "advisor" or "guide on the side" has stood supportively by a troubled child, it has made a tremendous difference in that person’s life. A transformational, enlightened leader can provide modeling and individual support, hold high performance standards, and be a source of intellectual stimulation, vision and culture building. Youths who have experienced this process, have often evolved to become agents of change themselves, as I am discovering with examples of students like Herman who have evolved through my leadership development programs and are now entering university. On May 4, 1999 Herman is being recognized as a "Celebrating Student Success" winner by York Region District School Board #16, in Ontario. (cf. Press Release). Both transformational leaders and followers experience a heightened level of positive citizenship behaviour and increased ethical aspirations. They further develop their capacity to achieve shared purposes. Empowerment of peers and colleagues is a logical, post-transformational byproduct when interactions are built on strong foundations of trust, credibility and mutual respect. Leadership needs to be more than transformational, however. Refer to the charts below:

I visualize various leadership approaches as overlapping eclectically. Judiciously selected and applied, they provide the missing pieces of the puzzle. There needs to be a balance of transaction and transformational leadership. Part of my moral imperative is to promote democracy, empowerment and social justice. A managerial/contingent model aspect not to be ignored, is the importance of efficiently completing clearly articulated and understood tasks. This is as true for student-led community outreach as it is for any effective, competent administration in an adult organization. We all know the saying "To fail to plan, is to plan to fail." Guided by the adult advisor, students learn to "plan for success." Managerial tasks include: daily checklists of "things to do", keeping a personal "activity logbook", recording detailed planning of step-by-step procedure for student-driven initiatives with annotations regarding suggested future modifications based on what did and didn’t work. One lesson student leaders have internalized to ensure future business support is: "Always say thank you in writing. Where possible, deliver the letter in person with samples of collages from the school yearbook in which that business support is highlighted." As well there are crucial follow-up types of items such as distributing minutes of meetings, making phone calls soliciting support, sending e-mails and faxes to business partners and the media. Productivity levels will clearly reflect the level of dedication of the organization to its self-identified goals. Leadership must be reflective, allowing time for stakeholders to synthesize observations. It is very important for students as well as adults to think about insights gained and their impact on practice. I watch with pride as students expand their sphere of influence to encompass the globe via the Internet. In some ways, our growths are parallel. As an agent of change, I wonder how I can help consciously bring about a positive paradigm shift amongst mainstream educators and educational institutions to embrace and accept action-based research as a means of fostering transformational, enlightened leadership in service to society. Finding more questions than answers, I know that I must continue my active "hands on" involvement in this process in pursuit of dynamic, ongoing leadership. I see action-based research as a leadership development tool which is instrumental to informing and transforming practice through classroom based inquiry approaches as well as to helping us evolve towards the "smart schools" that our society needs to prepare students for well-balanced, happy productive lives.

I note many benefits for students involved in the project such as improved student performance, enhanced communication, development of skills, concepts and attitudes conducive towards positive leadership. Pondering the synergy created when a group of individuals work together with a common focus, I ask myself many questions such as: "How far can virtual reality on the electronic highway project us beyond the physical confines of the school site? What are the implications for limitless expansion and reduced balkanization? How can "Kids Who Care" and I expand our spheres of influence to share and validate action research that approaches learning and leadership development incorporating spiritual elements, with the balanced global development of the child in mind? Where will we find multiple sources of data to document learning processes and outcomes? How will we report findings? Will we do this in a multimedia presentation format? How will we validate results?

It is my firm belief that we are all mind/body/spirit who are most healthy when we live in faith/hope/charity. We come into this world as a blank page ready to be written upon by life and moulded by its experiences. How do I as a teacher researcher in the classroom help youths uncover their precious gifts? How do I help facilitate their "grounding" in a world whipped by the winds of change to that they may approach life with a sense of joy, accomplishment and balance. How do I help them appreciate the importance of attending to their health with attention given to the four "directions" of the teachings of the Medecine Wheel which emphasize the importance of the mental, spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of our being? As the Elders teach us, if we spend too much time in any one of these areas, our lives are out of balance. How can we appreciate and honour (Canadian spelling) the complexities of learning while simplifying the concepts and facilitating the interactive, integrated process? How can we address our students’ multiple intelligences while exploring multiple perspectives with the end result being a clear grasp of concepts, an enhanced sense of self and autonomy?

Common sense must be at the base of all we do. We cannot expect students to reach out before they have learned to reach inward. We build individual self-esteem. We build the team. Students brainstorm issues which they need to address. They select a social and/or environmental focus to which they choose to address their energies. Then we roll up our sleeves and get down to work. Rather than reproducing step-by-step instructions in this article, I suggest that you visit the "Kids Who Care" Web site link at http://www.interlog.com/~kidscare for my introductory level article on "How to teach community outreach" which is reproducible and easily adapted to fit the needs of any community. A more advanced level article will follow soon, to be published in ORBIT by O.I.S.E. – U of T – Ontario Institute of Studies in Education/ University of Toronto, Ontario Canada.

I now understand that dynamic leadership is a "learned", ongoing "group" process fuelled by active engagement in action-based "inquiry" by all stakeholders. Being involved in this lifelong process is the greatest gift that I have given to myself and to my students, significantly enhancing the learning environment, the learning process, students’ leadership abilities, ownership and positive attitudes towards the self and others. The proactive, positive leadership approach to learning make a significant, positive difference in participants’ lives. Refer to the attached "Press Release" following the bibliography. This project can be replicated anywhere in the world. We thanks VSTE Journal for helping us in this quest.

Attached is a sample "Press Release" about one of our students who evolved though the program in grade eight, five years ago and is now on the threshold of his university studies. I find that, without exception, all students actively involved in this program, continue to be involved in community outreach in one form or another, carrying the seed of responsible citizenship in their hearts. It would be interesting to do a ten year follow-up study to prove this.

PRESS RELEASE

16 Students Honored as York Region Celebrates Student Success:

Herman Wong, age ?

Bayview Secondary School

Inventor is an inventive humanitarian.

Ontario Scholar and winner of Bayview's Computers Award, Herman Wong demonstrated his technical aptitude early. In grade eight he created excellent radio and media lab productions using complex systems borrowed form the board, participated in the space program at the Ontario Science Centre and in Lego robotics programming at Lego Dacta Canada.

In grade 10, Herman found himself frustrated by the amount of time it took to check his homework in the theoretical, paper-based programming language ZAP. Herman brought ZAP to life by writing an "interpreter" program that his teachers now use in class.

Herman revived Bayview's Computer Club, and has tutored students at his former public school as well as his high school in computer science and math. He is vitally aware of the potential of technology and is concerned that not all students are being given the training they need in this area. He sees a real gap in young women's exposure technology, and would like eventually to create programs that would encourage them to explore computer applications.

Computers, math and science, are only three aspects of this diverse young man's interests. He is also a profoundly concerned humanitarian. He is an active supporter of Sandgate Women's Shelter, The Yellow Brick House and the Pregnancy Crisis Centre in Markham and a volunteer at York Central Hospital.

The project closest to his heart is Kids Who Care, a student led organization with the motto "unity in solidarity, serving those in need". Among many other activities, his group has held raffles to raise money to support two children in Guatemala. He says, "I see myself as a pioneer dedicating my energy to build a strong foundation for the Kids Who Care group, and bridging the gap between humanity and technology."

For more information on Herman Wong, the Celebrating Student Success Program or the York Region District School Board's 12th Annual Awards Evening, May 4, please contact:

Brian Jamieson Kathryn Powell

Public Affairs Officer Communications and

Tel: (905) 727-0022, ext. 2380 Tel: (905) 727-0022, ext. 2520

or (416) 969-7170 or (416) 969-7170

a) Current workshop: BUILDING BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING: EMPOWERING VICTIMS AND EDUCATING BULLIES (Presentations in French and English) (Practical ideas for honouring ourselves, empowering victims and educating bullies for the greater good of all.)

ETFO Descriptor: In a realistic simulation, participants will learn step-by-step how to build productive, collaborative, motivated teams as well as to empower students to become confident, actively involved participants in meaningful business partnerships in their local communities. A historical perspective of the 1998 York Region based, award-winning community service-oriented "Kids Who Care" project will be shared. This approach can be duplicated with rewarding results in any community. Students learn leadership skills, self-worth and the joy of caring about others as part of the global human family. They develop attitudes and skills for enriching their own lives as responsible, resourceful, respectful members of society. They take pride in serving the community and in developing meaningful business partnerships. Participate in fun team-building activities that will help your students come together as a positive, collective whole. Discover programs, resources and funds available to you. Today’s schools are scrambling for resources. Fund-raising at the school level continues to increase. More than ever, there is a real need for increased business partnerships to engage social and financial support as well as the understanding of the community at large for what we are doing in our schools. Team-building is the answer. Learn how to be your own best advocates. This workshop will open minds and doors to many untapped opportunities. Discover how to multiply student successes with many free or very low cost resources and services available from various organizations. Handouts. Preview http://www.interlog.com/~kidscare E-mail students at [email protected]

Note: For more information, you may contact Ron Gugula, Executive Assistant and Workshop Project Coordinator at (416) 962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836,fax (416) 964-0512 or e-mail: [email protected] Also the ETFO website is http://www.etfo.on.ca

Fullen, Michael. (1993) Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform The Falmer Press Leithwood, Begley and Cousins "Chapter Three: Envisoning Future Schools" in Developing Leadership for Future Schools pp. 30 to 41.

Peters, R. (1966) Ethics and Education UK, Allen and Unwin.
Oblinger, Diana G and Verville, Anne-Lee. "Information Technology as a Change Agent" (pp. 46 – 56) in

Pinnegar, S., Russell, T. et al (1995) Self Study and Living Educational Theory in Teacher Education Quarterly Vol.22., No.3. pp. 5-10.
Rickard, Wendy. "Technology, Higher Education, and the Changing Nature of Resistance" (pp. 42 – 45) in Education Review: Education or Training, January/February, 1999 ISBN 74470 84560

Redfield, James. (1997) THE CELESTINE VISION: Living the New Spiritual Awareness. Warner Books: 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY Visit http://www.celestinevision.com

Sharma, Robin S. (1998) LEADERSHIP WISDOM: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders (from THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI) Special Markets Department, HarperCollins Canada, 55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3L2. Call toll free: 1-888-RSHARMA (774-2762) Website: www.robinsharma.com "Sharma Leadership International" E-mail: [email protected]

Bathfurth, Marion A. (1998) "Understanding the Collaborative Learning Process in a Technology Rich Environment: The Case of Children’s Disagreements." http://www-sc195.indiana.edu/csc195/bafurth.html (1 April 1998)

Bruner, J. "Constructivist Theory" http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/educ/tip/20.htm (March 29, 1998)

Chiu, K.Y. "Constructivist Classrooms" . (1995) http://129.7.160.115/INST5931/Constructivist.html (April 14, 1998)

Evans, M. Lomax, P., & Morgan, H. (1998) Transferring the excitement of what is learned in a community of teacher researchers to classroom communities of pupils, paper presented at AERA, San Diego, 1998. ERICk Tracking number TM028397 URL http://ericae.net.

Fajou, S. (1995, December) "Computer Anxiety." Compute-Ed, An Electronic Journal of Learning and Teaching with and about Technology, 1(1), http://www.edfac.au/projects/comped/Fajou.html (26 Feb. 1998)

Feng, Y. "Some Thoughts About Applying Constructivist Theories of Learning to Guide Instruction". (1995) http://www.coe.uh.edu/insite/elec_pub/html1995/196.htm (1 Apr 1998)

Holzer, S.M. (Spring 1994). "From Constructivism …. to Active Learning". Innovator,2. http://www.che.ufl.edu/SUCCEED/pub…ovator/innovator.1.2/succeed3.html

Hsiao, Jy Wana Daphne Lin. "CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) Theories." http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/Dhsiaso/theories.html#vygot (1 Apr. 1998)

Kerlin, B.A. "Cognitive Engagement Style, Self-Regulated Learning and Cooperative Learning". (1992) http://www.lhbe.edu.on.ca.teach2000/onramp/srl/self_reg_learn.html (2 April 1998)

Kirk, Treasa M. "The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning: With particular reference to Academic Achievement, Self-Esteem, Academic Self-Image, Social Interaction and Student Attitudes in Primary Mathematics and English Spelling Classes in Ireland". (1997) http://miaiavx1.muohio.edu/~shermalw/kirk.html (1 April 1998)

Lave, J. "Situated Learning." http://www-hcs.derby.ac.uk/tip/lave.html (31 March 1998)

"Leadership Resource Webpages" Website: http://www.uwoy.edu/A&S/comm/donaghy/linkpages.html

Lomax, Pamela of Kingston University , "Working Together for Educative Community through Research" This paper was presented at AERA, Montreal, April, 1999. The unpublished paper is available on the web site at http://www.kingston.ac.uk/~ed_s477

Oakley, Ed and Krug, Doug "Enlightened Leadership" articles at Web site: http://www.enleadership.com/

Oakley, Ed. "Speakers Platform: Leadership, Change, Team Building at http://www.speaking.com/speakers/edoakley.html

Piaget, J. "Jean Piaget – Intellectual Development." http://www.cscl95.indiana.educscl95/outlook/39_roschelle.html (17 Feb 1998) or http://129.7.160.115/INST59311/PIAGET1.html (14 April 1998)

National Learning Infrastructure Initiative. Visit http://www.educause.edu/nlii/ or http://www.educause.edu/conference/conf.html to find out about 1999 Conferences, Seminars & Institutes

Reich, Robert. 1996. The seven new directions at work. Fourth Annual Addres on the State of the American Workforce, Center for National Policy, 3 September. Visit http://www.dol.gov.dol/_…media/speeches.seven.htm

Rosenbaum, Don. "Shifting focus from teaching to learning: Case study of an exemplary middle school partner team" Paper presented at the International Conference on Teacher Research, Manoir des Sables, Orford, Quebec on April 24, 1999. See Project at http://www.education.mcgil.ca/thesis/rosenbaum/

School Improvement (on-line magazine, available in mid-May, 1999) Note: http://www.schoolimprovement.net

Sharma, Robin S. Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders. Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers, Limited, © 1996. 256 pages. Visit http://www.harpercollins.com/canada Visit Sharma’s specific website at http://www.robinsharma.com and e-mail him at [email protected] Book purchasers may ask for a free subscription to Sharma Leadership International (limited time only). Call 1-888-RSHARMA

Slavin, Robert E. (Mar., 1995a) "Cooperative Learning Among Students: Theory, Research, and Implications for Active Learning." (The paper was written for the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Portions of the paper were from Slavin, 1992, and Slavin, 1995.) http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/sfa/cooplearn.htm (26 Mar 1998)

Vgotsky, L. "Social Development Theory." http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/edu/tip/51.htm (21 Mar 1998)

VSTE. Virginia Society for Technology in Education: Online Publications (present and past issues) http://www.vste.org/newsletter/index.html

VideoJournal Productions Inc. Visit: http://www.videojournal.com E-mail: Chet D. Linton, President/CEO of School Improvement Net at [email protected] or tel 1-800-572-1153. Cf. The Video Journal of Education online (or VJE Online). Technical Requirements: Cable modem, T-1, or greater connection to each building/ Wintel Min. Requirements/ Windows 95, 98, or NT/ 120 MHz Intel Pentium processor/ 16 bit Windows compatible sound card/ 32 MB RAM/ 16-bit color video card/ Mac Min. Requirements/ Power PC 604/ 32 MB RAM/ System 7.5.5 or 7.6/ Open Transport 1.1.1

Yvonne Germaine Marie DUFAULT

• Over 20 years of full-time teaching experience at elementary and secondary levels in anglophone, immersion and francophone settings in Ontario and Quebec
• Lead teacher in both French Immersion and English elementary school settings

Fax: (905) 294 8141 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]