The Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute students at Carrboro High and Chapel Hill High became pen pals with students in the Mary Scroggs After School Adventures Program. After School Adventures was created by a Public School Foundation grant awarded to Shelby White and Susan Jullian, designed to assist second grade students with literacy, math and writing.
The pen pal partnership was initiated by After School Adventures to help students with their writing. Second-grade students wrote letters to Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) students. The first letter was an introduction in which elementary students shared basic information and their hobbies. The high school students responded to the letters. The exchange experience was a real motivator for the second-graders. One After School Adventurer was quoted as saying “I wish I could meet my pen pal Gan.”The pen pal project concluded, Tuesday, April 18, with a surprise visit from the high school pen pals. The after school celebration provided students an opportunity to meet their pen pals, play games and enjoy pizza. The students were enthusiastic about meeting their pen pals.
The Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute(YLI) seeks to provide high school students with leadership skills in their community and to be advocates for change. This was a great opportunity for students to implement their leadership skills with integrity and compassion. YLI students at all three high schools meet twice a month during lunch, and participate monthly in a local service-learning project.