In this issue:
Departments:
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by Alexa Pearce, Badger High School
and NYU
"Preparing students to exist in a society not partitioned by walls and chalkboards and to understand that we are all equal and that we have a responsibility to build a foundation of trust for each other, so that we would be able to work together effectively in and out of the classroom" are goals of the Leadership Dynamics Program at Badger High School in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The leadership program consists of three classes which are one-week "Outward Bound" type residential camps held at a local camp on the shore of Geneva Lake. The Senior Leadership curriculum continues through the school year and investigates life planning techniques, individual leadership styles, strategic planning, grant writing, ethics, decision making and consensus building, while planning and implementing a year-long project. Alexa Pearce's team of 17 seniors set four goals: to restore the image of teenagers, to give people a place to process their grief and remember their loved one, to restore an environmental area, and to include the entire Badger community. The In Loving Memory Project restored Donian Park Wetland Preserve in Lake Geneva and created a Memory Garden in the Park and at Brookwood Middle School in Genoa City. Local elementary students are helping to maintain each while learning about the environment and their community. Alexa is a student at NYU, and joined our
teaching team the summer of 2000. In this article she reflects on
her experience in the Leadership Dynamics program.
by Alexa Pearce Class of 1999 When a single project is passed through the many hands of the members of a large and diverse team, it is bound to confront conflicts and obstacles. Despite the difficulties associated with a team project as extensive in nature as the Senior Leadership Dynamics community service project, the team aspect of the project is precisely what made it an enjoyable enhancement to my academic year. I would describe our team in particular as especially diverse. It is comprised of many strong and individual personalities, who I believe have succeeded in creating a healthy team spirit. I think that this happens in two basic ways, the first of which is the experience of several people jointly confronted with challenges and obstacles. When a group is forced to come together in order to plan how it will overcome an unexpected hurdle, it also gains a bonding experience. The second way is when the members of a group augment each other's work. The best simulation of this experience was the finger-painting project at our retreat. When one person pours time and effort into a task and then gives it to the group to be enhanced, that person establishes a connection with the group as well as an element of trust. One benefit of working with a diverse group is that the integrity of the project is protected and considered from several different points of view. However, it is often susceptible to sacrifice by the same cause. The most difficult challenge any team might
face is that of finding balance among several powerful factors. In a large
group, everyone is not necessarily tuned into the feelings and interests
of everyone else.
I learned this when we had our lengthy afternoon meeting, during which we all wrote down our feelings and listened to them read out loud. That meeting was, however, a critical step on the way to examine the situation from other perspectives within the team, so as to get a sense of the entirety of the project, while still maintaining efficiency. I believe that this project was especially filled with components beyond the group's control. Not only was a large portion of our work subject to the rules and rulings of the Lake Geneva City Council, it was also weather-dependent. In addition to those factors, an environment restoration project must be carried out in an environmentally-sound fashion. As a group, we had a lot to learn. Due to the position we were in, we were forced to find a way to balance all of our planning, leaving room to adapt to forces beyond our control while making progress at a steady pace. My personal vision for this project was focused on the enhancement of neglected property into a functional, meaningful park. My hope is that this vision of mine, which I believe is common among many of the team members, will be valued by members of both communities we aim to serve. Ordinarily, an emotional investment occurs when I devote time to a significant piece of writing, be it a literary analysis for school or a poem or journal entry of my own. In a group project, it might occur when objectives of the group have been successfully organized and a final result is attained. With the arboretum project, the emotional aspect for me came during our experiences clearing Donian Park. Personally contributing to such extraordinary progress became a planting process in itself, in terms of dedication, emotion, and appreciation for the help we had. This process has definitely resulted in personal growth for me, much of which has been characterized by my observation of others. I have witnessed some people in the group grow and contribute in ways which I would not have expected. That realization in turn causes me to reflect upon my own potential to do things I haven't previously considered. The project has therefore also served as a motivational experience. Although meetings could be very stressful at times, they also served to provide me with atmospheres of relief when I knew this project was one aspect of school that was not a burden for me to carry independently. I am also aware that everyone in the group did not often feel as I did in that regard. Some members carried exceptional amounts of weight and were continuously let down by their teammates. I regret that happening, but I do not regret avoiding putting myself in that position because I know it was one thing I didn't need this year. I think that the Senior Leadership Dynamics course stands out in the Badger curriculum. It has the potential to give its participants an excellent and invaluable experience. I'm excited to have reached this point
in the project. Handing over our records to the other groups that will
be taking over makes it all seem quite real. I'm pleased to have
been a part of this experience. I saw many
I would choose to do this again. Carol Carlin
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