LeaderKids is a partnership with the Fort Worth Independent School District. Participants are selected by the Intervention Specialists in the middle schools. 

The mission of LeaderKids Fort Worth:
Developing leadership abilities in middle school students through community involvement.

The goals of LeaderKids Fort Worth:
1. to communicate positive, lasting values for kids to consider,
2. to foster volunteerism and support kids’ involvement in the community, and
3. to develop leadership potential in kids.

Background
In 1995, Leadership Fort Worth was invited by then Mayor Kay Granger to become involved with the Our City, Our Children initiative to make Fort Worth a “more child-friendly city”. In response to that challenge, Leadership Fort Worth designed LeaderKids Fort Worth as a program for middle school students.

Plan of Action
LeaderKids Fort Worth is an operating program of Leadership Fort Worth. It is a collaborative effort with existing organizations and resources that work with kids, including the Fort Worth Independent School District.

LeaderKids Fort Worth introduces students to the City of Fort Worth in two ways:
1. Career presentations allow them to visualize personal achievement as adults, and
2. Volunteer opportunities allow them to improve the community in which they live.

How participants are selected
School Intervention Specialists/Counselors select two students from their building who have leadership potential, but have not yet developed their leadership skills. The theme of LeaderKids is “Everybody has a leader inside.” The program is designed to help these students develop as leaders at school, in their faith community, in their neighborhood, and in the larger community of Fort Worth.

Volunteers
Adults and TCU college students volunteer as mentors. The mentors “bond” with the students by giving them respect and undivided attention, by gaining their trust, and by clearly communicating high levels of expectations to these young leaders in training.

The program depends greatly on volunteer time, energy and commitment. Volunteers share their knowledge of the history and heritage of Fort Worth, their personal experiences in getting an education, finding a role model, starting a career, and becoming involved in the community.

Career presentations
LeaderKids get involved in the exciting growth and development of Fort Worth. They visit the civic, corporate, government, charitable and educational centers of our community. The field trips they take allow students to hear presentations from people at workplaces and see firsthand the kinds of jobs that will be available to them. In addition, LeaderKids receive leadership skills training.” Mentors offer practical guidance to LeaderKids in areas such as time management, teamwork, project planning, public speaking, networking and dispute resolution.

Volunteer opportunities
LeaderKids get involved in Community Service Projects that produce tangible benefits for the community of Fort Worth. In addition, they learn leadership skills as they plan and implement their volunteer activities.

Financial Support and In-Kind Contributions
LeaderKids Fort Worth is funded by the dues paid by Leadership Fort Worth members, in-kind donations from individuals and companies and through grants. A meal is served to the students at each event. Fortunately, some meals are provided as in-kind contributions, thus lowering expenses significantly. Transportation is our greatest expense and these arrangements are made through the FWISD transportation department.

Results
It is difficult to quantify the impact of a program like LeaderKids Fort Worth. The statistics provided by the school district have shown through the years that the graduation rate for our students is significantly better than that of the norm. We cannot claim all the credit for that, but we do believe that the impact on the lives of students who participate in the program is reflected in their academic performance and extracurricular activities in the years ahead.