Capturing Kids' Hearts

It’s nice to see young people thinking through ways to help military children in their community. An  article  by Todd Glasscock in  theTaylor (Texas) Daily Press describes how Renee Clark’s Teen Leadership Program at Taylor Middle School recently worked a concession stand at two Taylor Middle School football games, and decided to help children of military families get toys with the money they earned.The seventh and eighth graders will shop for toys for the children of Alpha Troop 1-112th Cavalry based in Taylor, which will be returning from Iraq this month.

This is the first year of the Teen Leadership Program, Clark said, part of the school district’s “Capturing Kids Hearts” mission,  promoting teachers and students in developing compassionate relationships as a way of figuring out what is important to them and how to treat others. 

“All in all,” Clark says, I would say the majority (of students) have grown and by the end of the year will hopefully have developed into more well-rounded mature young adults. We’re just trying to make them well-rounded.”

“We want to give back to the community,” said Teen Leadership student Xavier Washington. “Anything you ask, we’ll do it.”