Impact Project: Students in Action: Making a Community Impact
Published on May 14, 2025
Access in Action: Making a Community Impact
YOUTH LEADERSHIP: IMPACT PROJECT
đź“ť Overview
In this 18 to 20-hour Impact Project (IP), students put principles of good leadership from the Youth Leadership unit into action as they work for positive change in their community. As a part of this project, students:
- Identify a community issue
- Design a project that addresses the community need
- Consider qualities needed to lead peers and expand their leadership skills
- Partner with community members to carry out their project
- Present their project to a local audience
đź“š TESOL Focus
This Impact Project (IP) will utilize project-based learning (PBL) techniques and guides teachers to:
- facilitate student-led projects with real-world relevance
- guide students to effectively collaborate and build communication and teamwork skills
- incorporate meaningful target language development related to the project
- provide multiple points for students to reflect on their skills, interests, collaboration, and community impact
🎯 Goals
As a result of this Impact Project (IP), students will be able to:
- identify and practice leadership qualities needed to lead peers, such as vision, planning, organizational skills, and clear communication
- feel empowered to use their developing leadership skills as they design and implement their project
- use vocabulary and language structures to discuss these topics and reflect on their work
❤️ Potential Impact
This Impact Project (IP) benefits both students and community members:
- Personal Impact: Students will develop and refine their leadership skills throughout a community service project; be better able to identify community issues and offer concrete solutions; and recognize their potential as leaders based on their interests, passions, and personality traits.
- Community Impact: Students will make a measurable impact on the community as they design and implement a project to address an important issue.
🔎 Inquiry Notebook Prompts
As students complete the Access Impact Projects, they will document their research, observations, analyses, and reflections in Inquiry Notebooks.
On Page 4 of this Impact Project, you will find six creative Inquiry Notebook Prompts to guide students' critical thinking and encourage them to reflect on their personal passions, challenges in their communities, important leadership skills, and project management. Involve students in their learning by letting them choose one inquiry prompt to answer during each stage of the Impact Project (beginning, middle, and end).
On Page 4 of this Impact Project, you will find six creative Inquiry Notebook Prompts to guide students' critical thinking and encourage them to reflect on their personal passions, challenges in their communities, important leadership skills, and project management. Involve students in their learning by letting them choose one inquiry prompt to answer during each stage of the Impact Project (beginning, middle, and end).
đź““ Impact Statements
After completing the Youth Leadership lesson plans and Access in Action Impact Project, students will review their Inquiry Notebook entries and reflect on their experience.
On Page 10 of this Impact Project, you will find an Impact Statement Prompt to help students reflect on the overall impact of the project on their learning. Students write their Impact Statements after completing the Impact Project.
On Page 10 of this Impact Project, you will find an Impact Statement Prompt to help students reflect on the overall impact of the project on their learning. Students write their Impact Statements after completing the Impact Project.