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Community Leadership
Community Leadership is a one-semester course that explores the question, "What does it mean to be an effective citizen?" Students who successfully complete the course will receive a half elective credit in social studies.
As a result of Community Leadership, students will be able to meet the following course objectives:
- Apply academic, social and personal skills to improve their community.
- Make decisions that have real, not hypothetical results.
- Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers and increase civic participation.
- Develop as leaders who take initiative to solve problems, work as a team and demonstrate their abilities while and through helping others.
The central questions of Community Leadership that students will explore are:
- What are my rights and responsibilities within my community?
- What actions can I take to serve my community?
- What skills/talents can I develop to serve my community?
- How can I become a more effective leader?
- What institutions/partners exist in the community that I can interact with to practice effective citizenship?
The major themes that will be explored in Community Leadership are:
- Responsibility
- Character
- Change
- Conflict
- Leadership
The following skills identified in the Illinois State Learning Standards will be developed in the Community Leadership course.
- Evaluate a public policy issue in terms of the costs and benefits from the perspective of different political and public interest groups. (SS14D1)
- Critique the impact of changing technology on civic activity and the understanding of public policy issues. (SS14D2)
- Analyze examples of the success or failure of individuals or groups to change or maintain continuity with a political party or government system. (SS14F6)
- Analyze local social issues by collecting and interpreting data. (SS18B1)
- Describe how an individual can work with others to make change in official social policy. (SS18B4)
- Compare how a government agency and a private agency approach the resolution of a social problem. (SS18B5)
- Evaluate the impact of individual and group lobbying upon legislative decision making. (SS14D3)
- Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success. (SEL Goal 1)
- Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.( SEL Goal 2)
- Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts. (SEL Goal 3)
Students in Community Leadership will be evaluated on a rubric that will record achievement and growth in various aspects of leadership. Some the activities that will be used to evaluate student growth are:
- Research projects
- Participation in class activities that may include lecture, discussion, small group activities, media analysis, written and oral presentations.
- Homework assignments that may include individual readings, research, interviews, journals and service projects.
Students enrolled in Community Leadership will have release time from the course throughout the semester to complete their required 60 hours of community service. Students will:
- Choose an area of service that interests them with approval from the course instructor.
- Serve a local, non-profit organization or institution.
- Be required to provide their own transportation to and from the service site.
- Receive no payment for their service.
- Complete at least 15 hours of service for each progress report marking period.
- Keep a journal of their service experience.
- Research a problem/issue associated to their area of service and produce a final product or report, consulting with the instructor and service organization.
- Read selected literature related to effective citizenship.
- Engage in seminars with community leaders to explore the central questions of the course.
Attendance in Community leadership is crucial to a student’s success in the course. Students who miss a class are required to seek out the instructor outside of class at a mutually agreed upon time. Students have five days to make up assignments for full credit. Any late work will be counted for half credit. Tardiness will be detrimental to your class participation grade and consistent tardies will be referred to the dean.
Ms. Daneels is generally available before school and periods 2 and 9. Please see me for an appointment. My school phone # is 876-6453 and my e-mail address is mdaneels@d94.org.
It is the expectation that all students will act responsibly, strive to do their best, interact respectfully with others and achieve personal growth and success in the course.
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