SLI Celebrates its Inaugural Youth Leadership & Mentee Cohort!

Toni Caldwell, Zoie Chambers, Aniyah Bailey, SLI Founder M. Gray, Jachristi Jackson, Kenley Cropper, and Amilyon Esco

Servant Leaders Institute's recent luncheon celebrated the completion of its inaugural youth cohort and mentorship initiative where cohort members shared their school board policy analysis and revision presentations.

The youth cohort and mentorship initiative centered on various themes to provide holistic support to students while strengthening their leadership and advocacy skills. Some of the themes included the following:

• "History and the Present"

• "Your Leadership Style"

• "Healthy Communication"

• "Emotional Wellness"

• "Building Community" and

• "Serving Community

Cohort members participated in work sessions and structured dialogue to learn more on the aforementioned while acquiring skills and resources needed to accomplish goals in each area.

Aniyah Bailey

An essential aspect of the leadership and mentor cohort is policy education. Therefore, during each session, the cohort read and analyzed school board polices from various public school districts in Mississippi. This analysis was based upon the concerns of cohort members and their peers as documented through applications and a survey. Cohort members examined school board policies and implementation throughout the school year in order to prepare for their final presentation.

Kenley Cropper, Aniyah Bailey, Jachristi Jackson, and Amilyon Esco

During this process, cohort members committed to understanding the importance of servant leadership. For them, servant leadership looks like listening to and representing the concerns of their peers while making a positive impact within their communities. As examined in their presentations, areas of concern on school board policies are as follow:

• Free, high-quality food options

• Dress code discrimination

• Bags and purses

• Bullying

• Harassment

• Excessive discipline and

• Student conduct

Cohort members provided background information and data on the policy. They also examined its implementation at their schools while recording pros and cons of the policy. Cohort members revised and/or created policy where necessary and communicated their intended outcomes.

Zoie Chambers

The inaugural cohort sends a special thank you to their wonderful parents and guardians, the Institute for Democratic Education in America, the Oppenheims, Nsombi Lambright, and SLI's advisory board. The cohort is excited to move forward in their work to ensure equitable outcomes in schools. To learn more and begin the vital work of supporting these youth leaders and ensuring the next cohort is sufficiently funded contact us at servantleadersinstitute@gmail.com .

Virtual Presentations

Paige Henry

Kennadi Smith

Jacayla Dixon