Greatness and Grit

The Elmore Leadership Expo began on the patio of the Farmhouse in the summer of 2015 with the 6th Grade English and history teachers. The students had read biographies before, and the English and history studies have also been closely related thematically, but we decided to take our usual lessons to the next level.

Knowing that our country was gearing up for a presidential election and that we as a community emphasize the importance of leadership, marrying the two ideas was quite easy. That summer morning, we put a date on the calendar for our first Elmore Leadership Expo and committed ourselves to the endeavor.

This is our third Elmore Leadership Expo, and each year the students impress us with their determination, enthusiasm, and creativity. They have been working on this project in science, history, English, music, math, and art. And this year we have put a unique spin on the their topic of choice. Their 21st Century issues have to be related somehow to either technology or the environment, a central theme for every STEAM project at The Country School this academic year.

We began this project last month. They students read biographies, researched their leaders, and designed slideshows. They focused on the quality of grit and how their leaders personify it. Tonight they will be putting themselves in their leaders’ shoes and presenting 21st Century issues that they feel need to be addressed. They will work to persuade you that their viewpoints are the right ones.
The Elmore Leadership Expo has taken our students out of their comfort zone. We have challenged them, encouraged them, redirected them, and applauded them for their dedication to this task and the uniqueness of their takes on particular issues.