6 APRIL 2019 By Mallory Gleich Eleven years ago, a program was developed at Christ Lutheran School as a way for students to sharpen their leadership skills and become more involved in the community. Suzanne Black, who is now assistant principal at CLS, started the program as an opportunity for students who were unable to join the National Junior Honor Society. At the start, Black and a couple of parents got together and held meetings for students during lunch hour. Black stayed on as coordinator for five years; she was also a teacher at CLS. “I really liked engaging with the kids. I liked giving them ownership of their service projects and watching them realize their capabilities. Giving them the opportunity to do something they didn’t know they could do was the best part,” Black said. The program was led by a few different CLS staff members over the years, until Megan Gotshall arrived in 2015. Gotshall – a CLS alumna – was hired specifically to run the Lutheran school’s leadership and community outreach programs. The Leadership Program has proven to be a massive success as students eagerly joined and created their own projects to help out in the community, with the ultimate goal of grooming their leadership skills. Students in sixth to eighth grade are able to apply for the club if they want to grow in communication, confidence, humility and listening skills. The application requires a letter of recommendation and an essay about who the student admires. Once they are accepted, they also sign a contract to remind them of their new responsibilities. There are 65 students in the group. Monthly meetings are held with guest speakers, from professional athletes to single moms in recovery to refugees. Some of the past speakers include a veteran who was at the Pentagon on 9-11, Katie Cosmas from Team Taylor, Firefighter Dave Phelps and Phoenix Police Officer Jason Schechterle. At the end of the year, the students participate in an all-ages alumni panel where people who went to CLS come and share their stories. “Every person has a story to tell and we can learn something important from every person that we meet,” Gotshall said. “I love watching the students’ faces when they hear someone’s story. Sometimes the stories are hard to hear, but are really impactful.” Students in Leadership Group earn service hours every semester by exploring different organizations and completing a service project that affects the community in some way. “I love when the students join in on a service project and at first, they’re unsure about it and then at the end they talk about how impactful the project was and how it surprised them,” Gotshall said. “I really love seeing them step out of their comfort zone and learn and grow.” One of the service projects is the annual Veterans Day Breakfast that is hosted on campus, where more than 50 veterans come and share their stories. They also partake in an Adopt-A-Family event every holiday season where they get together and fill stockings for less fortunate families at the Weldon House, as well as helping out at March’s Food for Kidz Packathon. “One of my favorite things is watching the students get excited about planning a project. When they volunteer somewhere and learn that they can do it and actually love it, they want to continue to get involved,” Gotshall said. Once students complete their service hours, they fill out a “service log” and take time to reflect on their projects. Gotshall also enlisted the help of six junior high teachers to help lead with devotion and prayers at the start of the meetings as a way for students to have multiple role models. In the near future, Gotshall and the Leadership Group will be launching a Senior Leaders Program, where students will plan and host meetings for those in second through fifth grade. Stepping up in leadership at Christ Lutheran There are currently 65 students in the Leadership Group, led by Megan Gotshall. One of the service projects, shown below, is the Veterans Day Breakfast. PHOTO: DAVIS WINBORNE PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAN GOTSHALL

7 APRIL 2019 By Anthony Wallace Amy Armstrong has always believed in the power of philanthropy and education. In the fall of 2012, while she was working with Camelback High School and attending friends’ weddings, she suddenly saw an opportunity to bring the two together more efficiently than ever before. Camelback’s principal at the time, Chad Gestson, was attempting to improve the culture of the school and the future outcomes of its students by implementing a radical new policy requiring every student to participate in an extracurricular activity. Various studies have shown that students who participate in extracurricular activities have higher GPAs, better attendance records, lower risk of getting in trouble outside of school, and greater chances of earning a college degree. CHS’s effort was a huge success. Student participation in activities skyrocketed, and new programs, like the Fashion Club, sprang up for those without activities that piqued their interest. These new clubs demanded resources, though, and this is where Armstrong came in. Inspired by wedding registries, she sought to develop a website where clubs could ask for specific items and donors could pinpoint exactly what their funds would go toward purchasing. Clubs, organizations and sports teams post specific items that they need to the website. Donors can then use price, school and activity-type filters to find those items that fit their philanthropic goals. Once the item is purchased it is drop-shipped directly to the school. “Donors can shop for what speaks to them,” Armstrong said. “You know exactly where your dollars are going.” Students write thank you notes and inform donors how their item has a been put to use. To keep the cycle going, clubs perform an hour of community service for each $100 donated. The site, which is 100 percent free for all public and charter schools, started with schools local to Phoenix, but has since grown to include 150 schools statewide. Support My Club is particularly helpful for those in less affluent areas. Over 80 percent of the clubs and teams registered on the site are from Title I schools, which are schools with low-income students that receive special state funding. “It’s an opportunity to help students that might not have that level playing field by giving them educational opportunities.” Armstrong said. “We are, as a whole community, going to be in a better place if we’re using all of our young talent. Not just the ones with the resources.” Not only does the site empower students of all means, it also takes the financial burden off of teachers. According to Armstrong, a survey the company conducted found that teachers commonly pay up to $1,200 a year to fund the extracurricular groups they manage. The site has produced a plethora of success stories. Among them is Phoenix’s Metro Tech High School. A few years ago, with only homemade gear made of scrap metal and 2x4s, teacher Mario Malaby started a weight-lifting club at the Title I school. Thanks to funding from the site, the club was eventually able to procure proper equipment, including squat racks and kettlebells. Last winter, the girls’ team won the Arizona High School Weightlifting Association State Championship. In her thank you note to Support My Club, Metro Tech junior Susan Osuna wrote, “Participating in such a club has been an amazing experience, there’s never a day we don’t learn something beneficial, whether it is about weighting lifting or ourselves. The Weight Training club members have become like my family. I’m so thankful for this amazing club that has impacted my life.” For more: supportmyclub.org. Support My Club connects clubs and donors directly Clubs, like the Metro Tech Weightlifting Club, are able to ask for specific items they need while donors can pinpoint exactly where their donations are used. PHOTO: MARIO MALABY