A decade of impact
Arlington ISD and The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, in partnership with Globe Life, is proud to celebrate over 10 years of the Leading Off Program, a servant leadership initiative impacting middle school students across Arlington ISD.
Each year, the Leading Off Program engages over 60 students in grades six through eight from select Arlington ISD junior high schools. The program focuses on giving participants the tools to succeed after graduation through various workshops and community service events focused on essential leadership qualities. Since its launch, the Leading Off program has helped hundreds of students gain confidence, discover their leadership potential and make meaningful contributions to the Arlington community.
Best year yet
This year, students from Barnett, Boles, Ousley and Young were challenged with a capstone project to identify a pressing issue in their community and design a nonprofit organization to address it. Students developed plans that considered key components like fundraising, target audience and long-term sustainability, applying the leadership and problem-solving skills they built throughout the year.
“This has been one of the best years of the Leading Off program in the history of the program,” said Rey Casas, the senior director of community impact for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. “The partnership, guidance and communication, led by Mr. Bass [Shaun Bass, Arlington ISD family and community engagement coordinator], has made this year seamless and impactful for the students of AISD. We look forward to future school years to come for this program.”
At the end of the year, Young Junior High earned first place with their capstone project called Eagles Helping Eagles. Their non-profit focused on providing tangible resources, supplies and equipment to impact less fortunate students at their campus both academically and athletically.
“The Leading Off with the Rangers program has sparked growth in my students in so many ways,” said Liza Kindred, Young’s P.E. teacher. “Each month, they gained insight into leadership characteristics that they put into action in the classroom, in athletics and in any group they were a part of. I’m so thankful for the opportunities my kids were afforded through this program.”