What tools can you provide to Middle School youth for leadership? Using the Leadership Road trip book and concerns that administration had for culture in the middle school lessons were developed to work with 8th graders from Van Wert Middle School. Youth completed the book as a group, explored activities, and answered the driving question, “How to grow leadership skills to positively impact their school and community”. Not just a book project, the group had a number of guest speakers, community service events, and finally an interview with a business leader from the community. Learn how to adapt this book for your own middle school leaders and take a road trip of learning they will never forget!

1. OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Leadership Road Trip
for Middle School Enrichment

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Introduction
Target Audience: 8th Graders at Van Wert Middle School.
Duration: School Year (August-May)
Lesson Time: 30-45mins, conducted a total of 12 times.
4-H Book Used: Leadership Road Trip: Where are you going?

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Demographics of Van Wert
Total Population: 10,768 people
Median Household Income: $37,030
Race is 91.8% White
Most common industry is Manufacturing.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Van-Wert-Ohio.html

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Driving Questions
How can we, as Cougar Leaders, grow our leadership
skills so that we can positively impact Van Wert
Middle School and the Van Wert Community?
Final Product: Portfolio containing resources and
handouts, as well as 4-H book.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Objectives
• Define the qualities of a good leader.
• Identify the qualities of a good friend.
• Identify their own values and beliefs.
• Explain leadership roles in effective teams.
• Classify their prominent role when working with a
team.
• Locate their digital footprint and explain its
importance to how others view them.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Objectives
• Practice body language cues in non-verbal communication.
• Separate a goal from a wish.
• Plan the steps to achieve a goal.
• Recognize emphasis on words in verbal communications.
• Organize tasks into more manageable steps.
• Demonstrate new leadership skills at an one-on-one
interview with a business leader.
• Evaluate what you have learned, and how that will affect you
as you go into High School.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Project Book Areas
1. Me, My Friends, and Others
2. Which Way Do I Go?
3. Communication Station
4. Hitting the Road

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Me, My Friends, and Others
 You’re the Driver: Created a collage of magazine clippings
of things they feel describe them. This includes Values,
joys, and talents.
 Choosing Your Passengers: Identified ten qualities of a
good friend.
 Tuning up Your Car: Defined what they bring to a team
effort. Also integrated colors activities in this portion.
 Meeting Others on the Road: Defined good and bad
behaviors when meeting someone for the first time.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Which Way Do I Go?
 Recalculating: Defined leadership traits and how
they will achieve them.
 Programming Your Goals: Short Term, Medium
Term, and Long Term.
 Planning Your Route: Defined Objectives and
how to make steps to achieve objectives.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Communication Station
 Clear Directions are Best:
Used emphasis on words to
show how it changed what
someone said.
 Reading the Road Signs:
Body Language
 Is this a One-Way Street?:
Clear directions and drawing
pictures.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Hitting the Road
1. Forks in the Road: Wrote steps to solve a
problem.
2. Finding Your Path: Defined opportunities and how
to keep learning leadership skills for the future.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Project Judging for Youth
1. One on One Judging, with adults who are leaders in the community.
2. Setup in media center with 4 judges, assigned times for each youth (15
minutes).
3. Youth wrote thank you notes to the judges, and reflections once they
finished.
4. Pizza Party following week to celebrate success.

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Interview Questions
1. What is your definition of leadership?
2. Tell me about one leadership quality you
have, and one that you are working to
develop.
3. Tell me 3 qualities of a good friend.
4. Who is your role model and why?
5. What do you feel that you bring to a
team? (page 20)
6. What was the goal that you identified in
your project book? (page 21)
7. How can you make a good first
impression?
8. As you go into High School how are you
preparing for success?

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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Notes for Replication
1. This past year we had 40 youth – would suggest closer to
20 for success!
2. 2 times a month is better than once – otherwise you don’t
get quite the same relationships with the youth.
3. Ask administration about their Vision, goals, and focus!
Make it fit and show them how you can help them achieve
what they want to do.
4. Since this group is not all traditional 4-H membership- we
often changed the wording or added in things to make it
more comfortable.