Communities In Schools of North Texas facilitates the Lunch with a Leader (LWAL) group at Peters Colony Elementary in The Colony, Texas where women leaders in the community mentor a group of girls. The group meets with students once a month to have lunch together and engage in leadership activities. The group’s goal is to promote self-esteem, social skills and confidence in students.
The LWAL mentors also promote college and career awareness to the girls and help them set goals. Students are recommended by their teacher to participate in the group. Students are selected based on their individual needs which can range from having low self-esteem, lack of motivation in school and/or struggle with social skills.
I meet with the LWAL girls on a weekly basis, and we do lessons from “Operation: Breaking the Girl Code.” The mentees began the LWAL program in 4th grade; they will continue to bond and form a deeper connection with their mentor throughout their 5th grade school year.
The girls were thrilled but nervous to see their mentors at the first meeting in September. The girls made beautiful welcome back signs for their mentors.
We are fortunate to have several women from the community join LWAL year after year. The mentors are encouraged to share lessons during the monthly luncheons if they have a special topic they would like to present to the group.
I have seen the positive impact this program has made on the girls. Most of the students came to the group more confident and all of them know there is a caring adult in the group each time they walk into the luncheon.
We appreciate our volunteers and hope this will be a great impact for everyone involved. “Leadership is not about you; it’s about investing in the growth of others” – Ken Blanchard
