Community Works

Vision

Students will emerge with a deeper understanding of their own personal strengths, their responsibility as active global citizens and with the tools to effect change in their world.

Guiding Principle

Nearly unanimously, teachers and administrators alike, cite character education, service learning and leadership development as most often overlooked and most important in empowering students to find their voice.

Objectives

Expose students to a leadership curricula grounded in self-discovery, teamwork, service, and most importantly, problem solving.

Provide hands-on learning experiences combining modern standards-based educational practices with innovative business approaches and focuses on students growing and developing through action.

Signature Programs

My Future Matters (MfM) was Community Works’ first pioneering program, followed shortly thereafter by My Story Matters (MsM) and My Voice Matters (MvM). Designed to be a developmental fit by age group, MsM is built for elementary school, MvM for middle school students and MfM for high school students.

My Story Matters

My Story Matters was conceived as an introduction to self-discovery. The program offers elementary school students the opportunity to explore who they are and what they value, in essence, helps them write their own story. Through individual and group activities, students are introduced to the concept of values, and learn to think about how their choices reflect their values and inform who they are becoming. By writing their own story, students begin to articulate who they are, what’s important to them, and how they want to live.

My Voice Matters

My Voice Matters builds on the early lessons of MsM and focuses on empowerment and self-advocacy. Middle school students will spend time thinking about their own personal power, their voice and their ability to effect change in their lives and in their communities. The program material focuses on helping students build self-confidence at a time when, for many, their sense of self is shifting. By highlighting communication, students will emerge with a deeper understanding of their own personal strengths, their responsibility as active global citizens and with the tools to influence the world around them.

My Future Matters

My Future Matters is designed to build the next generation of student leaders through tutelage in problem solving, relationship building, communication and collaboration. Through workshops and service projects, the curriculum addresses core elements of character and leadership. My Future Matters also confronts long held myths about leadership, and emphasizes responsibility and problem-solving as the core of leadership. This program exposes students to a leadership curricula grounded in self-discovery, team work, service, and consists of multiple components including activity-based lessons, student led service projects, student presentations, and internship opportunities.

A Focus on Problem Solving and Civic Engagement

We are driven by the belief that leadership and creative practice pave the way for civic engagement.

Each program consists of multiple components that build upon and support one another. The activity-based weekly leadership lessons provide the skills and confidence for students to generate their own service projects and presentations. Through this work, students begin to understand their interests and exposes them to opportunities to participate in internships and annual student service summits.

Beginning in January of 2013, Community Works piloted My Future Matters in six Los Angeles schools. Met with such evident success and positive feedback, we spent the summer of 2013 creating My Story Matters and My Voice Matters for elementary and middle school students respectively. Community Works continues to deliver programs in Southern California K-12 schools and is working to refine and improve the material, ensuring versatility, fit and relevance for students.

Learn more about our other signature program:

Programs