The Lead2Feed program is a leadership program that nurtures a new generation of leaders working to meet a need through project management, decision-making and teamwork to alleviate hunger needs within the community.
These leadership lessons align with 21th Century skills to encourage students to develop leadership, literacy and teamwork by completing service learning projects. Across the country, teams have worked to address issues such as hunger, social justice or mental health.
This year, the sixth grade Civic Engagement Academy (CEA) students at Bob Graham Education Center (BGEC) participated in the Lead2Feed program. These students started Project Sunnyside Up. For this project, they organized and conducted a collection of certain items to include in a re-usable bag. Each bag included water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, new socks, a fresh shirt, breakfast bars, cereal bars and snacks. The bags were sent to Camillus House to be used in the day program. This program provides a place for people to begin their day with the items needed to do so. Students also included positive handwritten messages in each bag to provide words of encouragement.
From thousands of student-led projects submitted for the Lead2Feed Challenge, 50 teams were selected based on the leadership, innovation and impact students demonstrated to address an important need in the community. Project Sunnyside Up was one of those winners.
The sixth grade students received an Honorable Mention for their project in the Lead2Feed program. As a reward, $1,000 will be donated to Camillus House to aid in their day program from BGEC and the Lead2Feed Program.
Special recognition goes out to their teacher and leader, Mercedes Mendez. She is to be commended for her leadership skills and commitment in efforts to make this project such a huge success.