The bright minds of 60 middle school students from across Nassau County learned about important civic issues on Nov. 22, when the local chapter of Jack and Jill of America held its annual Global Leaders of Tomorrow Symposium at Chaminade High School in Mineola.
“Our chapter is focused on building tomorrow’s leaders,” Donyshia Boston-Hill, the chapter’s president, said. “In these formative years, when they are in their tweens, we’re focused on really having them envision themselves as being tomorrow’s future leaders.”
Jack and Jill of America is a chapter-based organization that connects mothers and children, aged 2 to 19, through educational activities and programs that emphasize cultural awareness, educational development, health education and advocacy, civic service and legislative advocacy, and social/recreational areas.
“Whether it’s finance, leadership, or health and wellness, it’s key for us to give them that ability to just open their minds and see all the possibilities that are out there,” Boston-Hill said.
The symposium encouraged the students to collaborate in teams and discover the importance of civic engagement within their local areas.
After the initial presentation, the students were separated into three classrooms, with each room representing either the community of Elmont, Baldwin or Westbury. In each room, students were split into two groups, or parties, to come up with the best plan for their respective communities.
For some groups, a main point of interest was discussing economic development and entrepreneurial ideas. The discussions delved deeper into education on loans, debt, credit, and interest rates.
“Today, I learned about where businesses should be located and how to build up our communities,” Nathan Francisque, an eighth grader from Valley Stream, said. “We also learned about where we should plan on locating businesses.”
While debating the policies that the students sought to implement, they elected leaders who would create speeches for their respective parties.
“I feel like it was really beneficial to know that I had people that I could talk to, debate with, and agree with on certain topics,” said seventh grader Zora Exum of Franklin Square, who also served as one of the candidates for Westbury. “This experience helped me with leadership, especially within our group.”
After the contingent of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students listened to both parties’ speeches for each of the three communities, they were asked to vote for which they thought could best lead each community.
“For me, I learned about voting today and how the democratic process works,” Kaleb Johnson, an eighth grader from Baldwin, said.
Despite learning about and voting on these important issues, some students already saw the practicality of their discussions, especially as it will impact them come adulthood.
“I think that it’s good for me to learn these things because, sooner or later, I’m going to have to go through this,” Johnson said. “Most of us here will have to. I think that we should start learning this early, so we can get better at it for later.”
After the voting was finished, the chapter brought in speakers with expertise in financial literacy and responsibility. For the adults in the room, it was an opportunity to provide insight for students who are on the right track.
“We’re true believers that it takes a village to raise our children,” Boston-Hill said. “We use our network to bring in these speakers, and the more collaboration we have from the community, you keep kids off the street, you keep them focused on moving forward in life, and you raise good citizens.”
Overall, it was an experience that the students said that they wouldn’t forget as they start on the path to becoming a future leader.
“This entire experience really benefited me,” Exum said. “These are things that I will carry for the rest of my life.”
