Pass It On!

As I was driving home from the airport the other day, a very cool billboard caught my eye. The image was simple – members of a little league team sitting in the dugout cheering on their team with the phrase, “Unity: Pass It On” written in the bottom corner. By now, you have likely seen these billboards near your community too. They are the work of a group called The Foundation for a Better Life.

The nationwide billboard campaign launched in 2001 and has grown ever since. Today, there are “Pass It On” messages on the Internet, Television, in Theaters and now available through Podcasts. The Foundation’s mission is simple – “to encourage adherence to a set of quality values through personal accountability and by raising the level of expectations of performance for all individuals.” (The Foundation for a Better Life Web site).

Strong values and leadership go hand-in-hand. Here are some simple ways you can “pass it on” in your classroom:

• Choose a value per week or month. During that period introduce the value, what it means and identify real-world examples of people who embody that particular value.
• Send students on a mission to notice a certain value in themselves, their classmates, the school and the surrounding community. During bell-work, have students share where they’ve noticed the value displayed. Encourage students to identify ways they can embody the value too.
• Reward individual students when you notice them demonstrating a particular value. Make sure you label the value for them and highlight the example publicly to providing a learning opportunity for all students.
• Have students listen to a Podcast on one of the values highlighted at http://www.forbetterlife.org/be-inspired/podcasts.asp Then ask students to choose a value and create their own pod- or vod-cast about the value. There are a number of free resources available to help them begin on The Foundation for a Better Life Web site.

Inspire your students to pass it on!

Leadership Development Tip for 9.25.08