The Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program announces 50 team winners from middle and high schools across the country in the fifth annual Lead2Feed Student Leadership Challenge. Five grand prize recipients were awarded $20,000 each for their school’s nonprofit of choice and $10,000 technology grants for their school. Since its inception five years ago, the Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program is the nation’s leading and fastest growing free student leadership program, attracting more than one million students from 5,000 schools and clubs across all 50 states.
Aligned to 21st century skills, Lead2Feed encourages students to develop leadership, literacy, and teamwork skills by completing service learning projects addressing needs in their community. In a recent survey conducted by Lead2Feed, 91% of Americans believe that middle and high school students should learn leadership skills as part of their curriculum. The program is inspired by Co-Founder, former CEO and Chairman of Yum! Brands, and leadership expert, David Novak. The program was developed by the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning, the Lift a Life Foundation and the Yum! Brands Foundation.
To win the Lead2Feed Challenge, students study leadership lessons, form teams, and create programs to address a community need. From the student-led projects submitted, 50 teams were selected based on the leadership, innovation, and impact students demonstrated to address an important need in the community.
Five grand prize recipients:
- Bagdad School, Bagdad, AZ (Team Cottage Crafters)
FCCLA and Skills USA students teamed up to apply their leadership skills to build a “sleeping cottage” for the homeless.
- The Phoenix School of Discovery, Louisville, KY (Team R.I.S.E Refugees in a Safe Environment)
Team R.I.S.E. created a Bridge Building Day event to create cultural awareness and break down walls between cultures. More than 500 middle school students formed teams helping more than a dozen local charities.
- Winton Woods Middle School, Winton Woods, OH (Team Warriors for Change)
Students set a goal to change the current culture and climate of the school so school leaders would see them as a resource for effective change. The students led a variety of projects: renovating the wait room, creating air-scrubbing indoor gardens, and collecting for the FreeStore Food Bank. Student Julian said: “At the beginning I thought I would fail this class, but now I feel confident in almost any situation. The lessons taught me about being a leader, and I feel better about myself.”
- Eisenhower High School, Lawton, OK (Team Ike Ignition)
The ninth grade class volunteered, fundraised, and educated students and schools across Oklahoma to alleviate local hunger. The biggest takeaway was learning communication, optimism and flexibility as necessary tools for leading a team.
- Ogden High School, Ogden, UT (Team FCCLA C.A.N.)
Students combined lessons of healthy eating, cooking, and food collection to empower teens to make wise lifestyle choices. Student Crystal said “I learned through Lead2Feed that an effective leader shares responsibilities and includes everyone.”
Lead2Feed also awarded $10,000 charitable grants and $5,000 technology grants based on the outstanding works of the following middle school teams:
- Grand Rapids Christian Middle School, Grand Rapids, MI
- Port Chester Middle School, Port Chester, NY
- St. Francis Episcopal School, Houston, TX
- George H. Moody Middle School, Henrico, VA
Additionally, $5,000 charitable grants and $2,000 technology grants were awarded to school teams. View all winners.
“Now more than ever, we need to build leaders for the future. Through the Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program, we are teaching students leadership skills they will use to find a need in their community and take action,” said David Novak. www.lead2feed.org join now!