Hey, kids! Maybe you are the next compassionate leader that the world needs!

Young leaders in grades 3-5 can join a six-week program to create a service project for our community. We will be using the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots format “to help you create meaningful projects that solve real-life issues with big impact”. Participants must commit to all six weeks in order to design and execute their campaign. Some "homework" may be required between sessions; please see longer program description below for all the details.

“Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light they can break open brick walls. Hundreds and thousands of roots and shoots, hundreds and thousands of young people around the world can break through these walls.” Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE

This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Reading Public Library--thank you, Friends!

Our Citizen Kids project is a four step process

1. Get Engaged: Learning about compassionate leadership and getting to know the group's strengths and skills.
2. Community Mapping: Talking about the physical area around us and making a map of local assets and areas of need for people, animals and the environment.
3. Taking Action: This step will take multiple sessions.  First the group members choose a campaign by reflecting on the community map and drawing on their skills, interests and strengths.  Next the members make a plan and take whatever action steps they need to complete the project.  
4. Celebrating: We will reflect on personal growth and how far the group has come.  Let's measure our success and celebrate the positive impact on the community to wrap up the campaign. 

Because time is limited for this project, group members need to be committed to attending all the meetings and staying focused while we’re together.  We will try to keep the scope of the campaign reasonable for the time we have, but members may also have work to do between sessions.  “Homework” may include things like finding examples of other service campaigns and projects that have been successful, researching local organizations, drafting letters/emails or making phone calls to those community organizations.  Parents and guardians may need to be present to supervise or offer advice for this work, but should be careful to let group members be responsible for their campaign.