L.E.A.D. (Leadership by Education, Action & Discipline) is a new mentoring program at West Handley Elementary.  It was launched in January 2012 by Fort Worth After School.

L.E.A.D. is a 20-week mentoring program for 4th and 5th grade boys and girls. Lessons include topics on Self-Respect, Teamwork & Team building, Dress for Success, Health & Proper Hygiene, Black History “Past, Present & Future,” Drug & Alcohol Prevention, Respect, Hispanic Heritage, Self Control, Family, “The True Gentleman” and “The Powerful Woman,” Peer Pressure, Your Finances, Ethics, College Awareness, Chivalry above Self, Dining Etiquette, Citizenship, and Speech and Communication.

Through these interactive lessons, students learned the value of respecting who they are, making them aware of how their actions have both a positive and negative impact. They have also learned the value of teamwork while promoting citizenship in their community.

The students also created a L.E.A.D. Council, in which they held meetings and wrote minutes about what was discussed. They also worked to restore the West Handley Community Garden, in conjunction with the Junior Master Gardening Program.

West Handley L.E.A.D. students recently joined those from Morningside Elementary and D. McRae Elementary in the First Annual Young L.E.A.D.ers Conference, sponsored by Texas Wesleyan University.