Servant-leadership is at the core of YELLS’s ideology, and our scholars learn to embody this principle through various fun activities and academic lessons. One of our 1st grade students, Syriah Fields, has gone “above & beyond” (another one of our core values!) from the start of the school year. Each day after homework completion, Syriah reads with her friend Llary. While this might sound like a normal task, these young scholars have their own system in place.
With improved fluency and phonemic awareness levels, Syriah leads the reading experience. “It’s great to see a student choose to help another student without making a big deal about it. Llary’s confidence has improved, too” shares Ms. Autumn, AmeriCorps VISTA member. The duo points to each word together and practices new sounds. At the end of each sentence, they repeat the process until Llary and Syriah both read each sentence at the same speed. As a student who has received individualized support in reading through tutoring services from Achieve Through Education (ATE), Llary has had much experience with paired reading. What her partner Syriah offers is a level of relatability and fun through working with a friend! By using her strength in reading to support a fellow YELLS member, Syriah demonstrates the power of servant-leadership in everyday moments.
Not only is Syriah a helpful peer and teacher-in-the-making, but she also knows how to spread kindness through art. Syriah uses her creative skills to make pictures and cards with memos for other scholars and teachers. By including positive affirmations like “You are nice” and “love YELLS,” Syriah continues to uplift others and pour positivity into those around her. We are excited to see more ways that Syriah empowers other scholars throughout the school year, which, in exchange, builds upon her own identity to be a true servant-leader.
