Compass Students are the Change
Students from the Leadership and Photography seminar, Being the Change Through the Lens, hosted a Youth Art Exhibition at the Colorado Feed and Grain Public Market and Coffeehouse in Timnath October 24-November 2. Owner Becca Bay invited the youth with the goal of providing a social space that they could express themselves and contribute to the betterment of community through their dynamic art. Inspired by Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” and the recognition that two forces which influence, and shape individual purpose are one’s attraction to beauty and an innate thirst for knowledge. Compass youth photographed their world in celebration of ‘beauty and knowledge’ with the goal of inspiring others to ‘be the change’ and cultivate joy in community. Students integrated elements from Transformative Leadership into their artwork such as; the purpose of leadership is for personal and social transformation, our moral responsibility is to investigate and apply truth, seeing others as essential noble, service-oriented leadership is motivated by love, by connecting to eternal values we practice transcendence and the development of capabilities. Learning skills and basic techniques in photography has provided students with a wonderful tool for personal expression and societal betterment.
During the month of October, several Compass students completed the Intercultural Community Builder’s (ICB) Teen Intercultural Leadership training and workshop. ICB is a Fort Collins-based nonprofit organization that builds community by training, educating and hosting the Be Kind-Be a PAL, Find Your Voice-Take a Stand and Teen Intercultural Leadership workshops that develop skills to eliminate bullying behaviors and prejudice, cultivate a culture of kindness and foster multicultural and intercultural leadership skills. Compass students who completed this training will serve as table leaders and facilitators in ICB’s Teen Intercultural Leadership workshop January 2-4 in Fort Collins.
