Take Action Campaign Leadership

The TAKE ACTION Leadership Campaign (TAC) is a collaboration between Los Angeles Unified School Districts high schools, after school providers, universities, and community based organizations to develop high school leaders at LAUSD high schools. Leadership is taught through quarterly service learning projects, outdoor education leadership retreats, celebrations of the arts, and a peer mentoring model to assist students in bridging transitions. The TAC is a unified high school after school programming model, is funded primarily by 21stCCLC grants and is overseen by three of BTB’s partner agencies, Champions, EduCare Foundation and !Mpact People. In some cases, those three agencies partner as coaches with another CBO at the high school site. The campaign was originally piloted in spring 2008 at Fairfax HS, Grant HS, Lincoln HS, Los Angeles HS, and Maywood Academy. Now, in its fourth year, there are 29 participating high schools.

 

During after school hours, on weekends and during summer Leadership Councils, groups of 15-45 students, meet to learn communication, project management, and business skills. They use these skills to organize service learning projects, regional arts competitions, college tours, and peer mentoring for local middle schools. Each group brings it’s own unique perspective as they all follow a unified roadmap of annual events.

 

The primary goals of the TAKE ACTION Leadership Campaign are to:

 

Reduce youth violence and promote student understanding of diversity issues at their schools

Reduce high school drop out rates – by specifically targeting 9th grade students at their schools

Implement after school activities that will improve student achievement by meeting the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of all students.

Provide Resources and Opportunities for all high school students to be College Bound

Facilitate service learning, volunteerism and arts events

Foster workforce readiness.