Heritage Leadership Camp -- filling the gap

Videos are powerful. They tell stories. And last week I saw one that inspired me. It was a video about the Heritage Leadership Camp -- a series of day-long workshops developed for middle school boys and run by community-minded men of color.

Funded by Communities In Schools, partnered with the Federal Way School District, and founded by male community leaders, the camp focuses on the development of leadership and conflict resolution skills and provides valuable perspective on peer pressure issues. 

They say middle school tends to be where students "fall off" the education path. So Heritage targets this critical age group. In the video, you see these young men learn positive skills -- from conflict resolution to collaborative discussions about key academic and life issues. They do activities that relate to teamwork and trust. And all the while, they're encouraged by successful men who look just like them.

"[It fills that gap] between absolute failure and absolute success," says Tony Moore in this moving video.

The results? Resounding improvements. Participants are gaining new-found confidence, have fewer behavioral issues, are improving academically, and are encouraging more positive attitudes among their classmates. Great work, Heritage!

In Washington State, only 6 out of 10 African American and Latino students graduate from high school. The achievement gaps are real, and it's so wonderful to see programs like this one that are truly making progress to close them.

Thanks to Trise Moore of the Federal Way Family Partnership for introducing us to this great program and for all that she does in the Federal Way School District!