Southridge Elementary recently hosted its annual LIFT Jr. event, an exciting opportunity for students to engage in leadership development, community service, and teamwork. Designed to inspire young leaders as they make a positive impact both in their school and beyond, students participated in various activities that focused on communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.
LIFT Jr. began when Megan Propp, a 5th-grade teacher at Southridge Elementary, saw the positive impact of LIFT Wyoming on high school students. She reached out to Tom Grogan, the founder of LIFT Wyoming, and collaborated on creating an event for younger students. LIFT Wyoming aims to promote leadership and opportunity in Wyoming's youth, with a dedicated focus on positively impacting Wyoming’s future. Along with instilling and modeling leadership, LIFT Wyoming teaches students about the terrific opportunities available in Wyoming for young people after graduation.
As part of this year's LIFT Jr. event, students at Southridge had the opportunity to learn valuable leadership lessons from some extraordinary high school student leaders, Brooks Adels, Cheyenne Crouch, and Corbin Dow. The four core sessions of this year’s event focused on essential leadership qualities: attitude and effort, grit, gratitude, and respect and kindness. Throughout the event, students participated in sessions on these key topics, engaging in activities that helped them build practical leadership skills. Rachel Schreckengost, a student teacher at Southridge, took the lead in planning and coordinating with the high school mentors to ensure the event’s success.
A highlight and key component of the LIFT Jr. event is the focus on community service. During the second day, students worked alongside volunteers from the Fleece Blanket Project, learning how to measure and cut fleece, calculate the correct sizes, and tie the fabric together to create cozy blankets. Through this valuable partnership, students learn about community service's importance while applying math, problem-solving, and teamwork skills to create something meaningful. “This project provides an opportunity for students to be hands-on in helping an organization in our town that helps so many people in our community,” shared Megan Propp. “It seems to be a project that students can relate to - many seem to enjoy and understand the comfort of a warm blanket!”
The Fleece Blanket Project began on January 30th, 2016, when founder Debbie Mestas had a heartwarming goal to make and distribute blankets to those needing a little warmth and comfort. Since then, volunteers have created a total of 2,202 blankets, which have been distributed to a variety of organizations serving our community, including CASA, Child Development Center, Rocky Mountain Oncology, Meals on Wheels, Banner Wyoming Medical Center, and many others. Debbie Mestas shared her joy in seeing the project's impact on those receiving and those giving, “I love to work with students and staff on this project! Their enthusiasm is contagious, and they want to give back. We have incredible young people in our schools and community, and I wish more people could see how wonderful they are.”
Over the years, the Fleece Blanket project has worked with schools across the district, including Southridge, NCHS, and CYMS. Fleece Blanket volunteer Trudy Woodard shared her appreciation for the partnership, “Every time we hand out a blanket, it is special. But to see the faces of those receiving them or hear them say how grateful they are is worth every minute of doing this. Working with these kids and hearing what else they do for the community…one student told me he had a lemonade stand and took all of his earnings and bought stuff for the Humane Society. Just one of the many examples. What they are learning from these projects will carry with them through adulthood!”
As they continue to build on the positive momentum of lessons learned, Southridge has initiated a LIFT Jr. Leadership Award each week to recognize the strong character, kindness, and leadership of a 5th-grade Superstar! Southridge Elementary is committed to building character through high expectations and modeling, creating a sense of community through family involvement and celebrations, and inspiring a passion for learning and academic growth.