Community was abloom this Spring as our youngest youth led their neighbors in connecting with each other and taking care of themselves through a beautiful evening at Dwell @ 750 Apartments. Neighbors enjoyed yoga, affirmation buttons, free haircuts from a YELLS parent, nail painting, slime making, shopping in our community closet, and hygiene kits provided by the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Cobb County office and Simple Needs Georgia.
For the past month, our YELLS K-5th grade youth at both Franklin Gateway and Fair Oaks have been working hard and planning every detail of their annual service projects. This year, our Franklin Gateway students voted to host the “His & Hers Self-Care Fair” and Fair Oaks YELLS youth chose to lead an “Ice Cream Picnic” for their community.
Before our young people ever started planning their projects, they first set out to better understand their community. YELLS youth conducted their own community needs assessment, exploring their neighborhoods with cameras and identifying strengths and areas for growth by capturing pictures. Next, they expanded their perspectives by talking with neighbors. Through a speed networking session with family members, students got a hands-on opportunity to practice their professional skills while asking questions about their community.
They also experienced a Community Roundtable event where they met with community leaders to ask questions, share ideas, and learn more about their community directly from the people around them. They listened to stories, identified areas of growth for their neighborhood, and began to think critically about how they could make a meaningful impact.
Students then participated in Cause Tables to gain exposure to new ideas and ways to make a difference. This allowed them to connect with partners and community leaders, ask questions, and gather ideas for how they can serve their community in impactful ways. Youth at Franklin Gateway learned about food sustainability efforts from Bagel Rescue, community advocacy with Marietta City Councilwoman Richardson and Councilman Goldstein, mental health with Cobb Collaborative, and literacy challenges with Cobb County Library. At Fair Oaks YELLS, youth explored public art with the Marietta Arts Council, creative expression with Paint Love, mental health with Cobb Collaborative, literacy with Cobb County Library, and community resources with the school social worker. Our students at both locations also enjoyed We Love Franklin Gateway and We Love Fair Oaks projects such as kindness windmills, a community art mural, a community birthday party, and an ice cream social. This process helped them begin generating ideas for how they could bring something powerful to their community.
From there, students worked in teams to develop their own event concepts, collaborating to shape their ideas and prepare pitches. On Pitch Day, each group had the opportunity to present their event proposal to their peers and staff, sharing their vision, purpose, and plans for impact. After all of the ideas were presented, everyone came together to vote for their favorite event, and on Franklin Gateway, His & Hers Self-Care Fair was the winner. Kamsi, Cadence, and Dakota pitched the winning event as a free community wellness fair offering resources like hygiene kits, self-care services such as haircuts and nail care, and interactive activities to promote relaxation, confidence, and overall well-being.
At Fair Oaks YELLS, an Ice Cream Picnic won the vote! Our young changemakers envisioned a special gathering where neighbors could enjoy sweet treats and connections along with fun community-building activities, craft stations, and more. Fifth grader, Eleazar, shared:
“Our hope is that neighbors meet other neighbors, build friendships, and feel comfortable reaching out to one another for support.”
Once their projects were selected, the real work began! Youth had practiced the steps to project planning with their Hot Chocolate Stand last semester, but now was their chance to apply it to their own projects.
They started by solidifying their purpose, coming together around a shared vision of making a difference in their community in a meaningful way. From there, they defined what success would look like, setting goals around attendance, engagement, and even smiles being spread. Youth focused on spreading the word by designing flyers, emailing teachers to invite them, and practicing how to confidently talk about their event with others. They also worked to identify and gather the resources they would need by creating a supply list and a list of partners who could help. Once a supply list was made, youth explored budgeting by discussing what costs might come up and how donations could help meet their needs. They began to focus on building a strong team, reaching out to the community partners and volunteers who could support different parts of the event.
To make this all happen, youth split into small teams, each taking ownership of different responsibilities. Some worked on writing proposal letters and making phone calls to secure partners and donations. Others designed flyers, created a layout and map of the event space, or even built a playlist to set the tone for their event. Additional teams focused on organizing supplies, planning activity stations, and making sure every detail was accounted for.
Finally, students created a detailed “run of show” to map out exactly what would happen on the day of the event and assign job roles so everyone knew how they would contribute. By the end of the process, what started as an idea had transformed into a fully developed, youth-led plan powered by teamwork, creativity, and a shared commitment to make a difference.
Our little ones are accomplishing big things for their community, and they are growing along the way. They are actively developing the skills to make change now and throughout their lives. At the same time, they are building belonging for their community while realizing they are capable of shaping their world. We are so proud of our K-5th grade youth, and we know they are growing the confidence and skills to thrive wherever life takes them.
If you missed out on the His & Hers Self-Care Fair, there’s still time to enjoy the fun and support our incredible YELLS servant leaders. Our Fair Oaks YELLS youth are leading their Ice Cream Picnic on Friday, April 17 from 4:30 – 6:00 pm at The Bentley Apartment Complex (880 South Cobb Dr. SE, Marietta, GA 30060). We hope to see you there!
