As we wind down our twelfth and final class, I eagerly share a reminder with my Jack James High School Young Leaders about Wrap Up the following week.
A hand shoots up. “Danae, what exactly is Wrap Up?”
My mind cycles through a variety of answers to sum up what the experience is like, but I finally settle on, “It’s a celebration of who you all are as leaders. And there’ll be pizza!” Satisfied, the group nods and pack up as the bell rings for their next period, while some hang back to ask exactly what kind of pizza. The important questions!
When talking about the aspects of the In The Lead program, we find that questions about Wrap Up are among the most common. The reason it can be such a tough one to respond to is that Wrap Up is more a series of feelings rather than a series of events. This is also the reason we often invite curious people to Wrap Up to see it for themselves!
As I have noted, food is something that everyone involved with In The Lead is very passionate about. We provide snacks each week for the semester, and this can be a subtle encouragement for some teens to arrive in class. Our team are also firm believers in the role food plays in building community, so of course, we plan a special meal to share together one more time before we part ways. Giving people something to do and grab while they wait for things to get started is a strategic move, and it is a necessary comfort we want to bring to Wrap Up.
Gratitude is a key factor and feeling of Wrap Up as well. There are a lot of folks who contribute greatly to what we do for youth, and we love having a moment to thank them in front of everyone. From our generous donors, particularly our founding partner Cenovus, to our many, many volunteer Coaches who freely give their time and energy, to our wonderful liaisons who are our behind-the-scenes heroes setting everything up and taking care of business each week – we want to ensure we recognize the effort it takes to make In The Lead happen!
Welcoming Young Leaders and Coaches to speak at Wrap Up is something that is equally essential as what we as staff do. Having them reflect back in their own words about what In The Lead means to them and putting a spotlight on their leadership is always one of my favourite parts. For example, within my Skipping Stone cohort, I inquired with a Young Leader of mine, Jay (xe/xyr/it/its), about giving a speech. Jay has been part of In The Lead for the past three semesters and was part of our initial pilot with Skipping Stone, so I knew it would have unique insights to impart. Jay’s Coach, Tammy (she/her) enthusiastically agreed too.
For Tammy, being able to be an empathetic ear to others was the feeling she will most remember. She noted, “The takeaway for me is that listening to these Young Leaders provides them a valuable and safe place to be themselves, so as a Coach I hope to carry that with me and to ensure that I provide that listening space with me in the future.” Coaches like Tammy model parallel leadership in such a powerful way and demonstrate how they see the Young Leaders the way that we see them.
After acknowledging initially feeling uncertain about joining In The Lead, Jay went on to say that being in the program has been of the best decisions xe (and xyr mother who signed xyr up) have made. The feelings of identity and community have been what kept Jay inspired to return for a second and third time. During its time participating, Jay was able to connect with itself, new friends, as well as partners, and in turn, welcome others who were new to the experience. It emphasized, “In The Lead has watched me grow. Just a year ago when I first started In The Lead, I was lost, and I didn’t really know who I was as much as I do now. I was distraught and I felt like I had nothing. Through In The Lead, I learned that I am strong and that I am someone worth loving and caring about.” As Tammy so beautifully acknowledged in her speaking notes, it is clear Young Leaders like Jay have a lot to teach us. Remaining open to their feelings is a gift we can always give.
Finally, the last feeling we hope to impart through Wrap Up is that of feeling known. With the assistance of our lovely Coaches, In The Lead Program Coordinators create what we call a Strengths Letter for each and every Young Leader that has been part of the semester, regardless of how many classes they were able to attend. A Strengths Letter begins with a list of about four strengths that we and their Coach have seen in them during our time together. It can be quite tough to narrow things down to only four, so we often cram a few more in as we’re able! From there, we pen a personalized letter of the ways we’ve seen their strengths in action, as well as how they have inspired us. While it is a task that takes a lot of coordination and effort, inviting the Young Leader and their Coach up, and then reading the letter out loud to them is something that always makes it worth it and hits us right in the heart. The reactions range from tears to shock to shy smiles to big grins to nodding along in agreement to everything in between. I have had Young Leaders tell me that they plan to hang their Strengths Letters up in their room to re-read when they need a boost. Something that I will take away this semester was when asked what they learned in In The Lead, a Jack James Young Leader commented, “I have learned that I am intuitive,” which was a strength I wrote and talked about in her Strengths Letter. By sharing the Strengths Letters, we get to watch Young Leaders realize that we know them, we see them, and that those things we’ve written are absolute truth.
Each feeling present is just as important as the last, and when combined, these feelings come together to form the beauty of our Wrap Up events. I hope that I have done it justice in my attempt to capture the feelings encompassed every semester. And if not, well, you’ll have to come out and feel it for yourself!
– Danae Pritchard (they/them), In The Lead Program Coordinator
