Extended Family was honored to be selected by Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee as their University Servant Day volunteer project. Students from the Department of Biological, Chemical, and Health Sciences gathered to learn more about Extended Family, a community-based non-profit which serves justice-involved families.
Following an overview of Extended Family programs and services by Assistant Director Daphne Rogers in a presentation titled, “Character Development as a Vaccine: How Personal Leadership and Resilience Training Protect At-Risk Children from Lifelong Health Consequences,” the students worked in groups to create lessons for Extended Family Leadership Academy focused on personal leadership, resiliency, and character development.
Using the Extended Family Leadership Academy (EFLA) motto “Lead yourself” as a guide, Freed-Hardeman students developed multiple character development lessons covering civic-based topics like citizenship, stewardship, and civic duties; relationship-based lessons like conflict resolution, friendship, and empathy; and personal leadership topics like assertiveness, compassion, fairness, and ethics. Other lessons focused on self-control, integrity, respect, and responsibility. The students delivered timely lessons on relevant topics and included lesson goals, objectives, and activities.
Extended Family Leadership Academy is for students in grades 7th-12th and is designed to help them get where they want to go in life, beginning with graduating from high school and then offering support and information as they move on to college, a technical program, or the workforce. EFLA groups meet during the school day, one forty-five minute lesson a week for 18 weeks, at schools and juvenile diversion programs. In addition to the character education lessons led by Extended Family staff, guest presenters from the community speak on careers that match the students’ interests. Senior students are invited to apply for an EFLA scholarship and to participate in a shopping spree for business attire.
For more information about Extended Family Leadership Academy and our other programs, please visit our website, www.extendedfamilyhelp.org. Thanks to our collaboration with Freed-Hardeman University, we are fulfilling our mission, “To offer help and inspire hope,” one child at a time.