MUST READ: "A teacher is a creative profession..."

...not a delivery system"

Ken Robinson gave recently a fabulous presentation called "How to escape education's Death Valley."

"Teaching, properly conceived, is not a delivery system. You know, you're not there just to pass on received information. Great teachers do that, but what great teachers also do is mentor, stimulate, provoke, engage."
He talks about the difference between the "task" and the "fulfillment" of a verb: like "dieting"...are we dieting or actually getting a result? (His example.)  We can be engaged in the activity of teaching, but is there actual learning going on?

"We all create our own lives through this restless process of imagining alternatives and possibilities, and what one of the roles of education is to awaken and develop these powers of creativity." 

"And by the way, the arts aren't just important because they improve math scores. They're important because they speak to parts of children's being which are otherwise untouched."

"The point is that education is not a mechanical system. It's a human system. It's about people, people who either do want to learn or don't want to learn."

(Speaking of "alternative educational programs") " These are programs designed to get kids back into education. They have certain common features. They're very personalized. They have strong support for the teachers, close links with the community and a broad and diverse curriculum, and often programs which involve students outside school as well as inside school. And they work. What's interesting to me is, these are called "alternative education." You know? And all the evidence from around the world is, if we all did that, there'd be no need for the alternative."

"Great leaders know that. The real role of leadership in education -- and I think it's true at the national level, the state level, at the school level -- is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate control, creating a climate of possibility. And if you do that, people will rise to it and achieve things that you completely did not anticipate and couldn't have expected.
There's a wonderful quote from Benjamin Franklin. "There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don't get, they don't want to get it, they're going to do anything about it. There are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it. And there are people who move, people who make things happen." And if we can encourage more people, that will be a movement. And if the movement is strong enough, that's, in the best sense of the word, a revolution. And that's what we need."
 
From the mother of sons, please listen to this excellent talk on educating to get people to learn.  The man is funny, engaging, and amazing.  Take 20 minutes.  Do it :)...

(I think I am going to watch it once a week :)...at least for a while.)
*******
Another fun link to watch is the following, of a school within a public school where a group of kids came together to direct their own education:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTmH1wS2NJY

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders.  Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Inspiration, hunger: these are the forces that drive good schools. The best we educational planners can do is create the most likely conditions for them to flourish and then get out of their way."--Ted Sizer

Core Class

CORE CLASS OF THE WEEK:

PRINCIPLE:  The core class within this core block is a great place to establish the main context for the study of the month.  To accommodate learning-style needs, I feel it is essential to include an activity that is more active or hands on that reinforces the principles discussed in the class.

The “class” during this time is an opportunity for the youth to come together and share what they have learned about the concept in the days before at home (see BYU-Idaho’s vision).  The study of the students comes before the class in which they discuss it.  The mentor’s job is to, first, prepare the inspirements to show the students how they can explore the truth of a certain concept or person’s life beforehand, and then, second, guide the class discussion as they come together and share what they learned, adding their own personal wisdom and insight as inspired.

It is also important to have this core block time be a place where youth of all ages and abilities can come together, to share, serve, teach, and inspire.  Along with the basic benefit of increasing the diversity of the pool of information shared, this set-up helps youth break outside of the intense age-based peer connection found in public schools, as 17 year olds (and 34 year old mentors!) realize they can learn from a 12 year old and enjoy being with them :).  By appreciating the value of diversity in others, they can come to value the uniqueness of themselves.  

As youth get older, they should be given ownership and responsibilities in the core class to help guide, direct, and lead.  They should be approached individually and asked how they see they can help.  I feel that this will lead to more "shadow-leadership," giving the youth valuable leadership opportunities, as well as a way to feel personal relevance in the core class.

The core class is also the ideal time to take care of group business (announcements, etc.).

Levels of Learning

LEVELS OF LEARNING:

PRINCIPLE: Each student is at their own level of understanding and interest in different subjects.   In order for them to feel confidence and success, they must be able to explore where they are at through personal experience—by being allowed to try and fail and succeed for themselves through experimentation in a safe environment.

            It is valuable for them to be shown what the different levels of learning in an area of interest are: to be able to look ahead to what is possible if they truly engage and learn in a particular area.  This is accomplished both in an outline of the path presented to them by mentors, and by seeing the different levels in the students around them.
           This concept is patterned after guilds/medieval concept of apprentice, journeyman, and master of a skill.  Parallels can be drawn to the Thomas Jefferson model of scholar phase, and the concept of knowledge-understanding-intelligence outlined by David Bednar in “Increase in Learning”, chapter 2.

            The “levels” of knowledge of a particular subject are shown to the youth through the inspirements created by the mentor for a particular class.  The youth find out for themselves what level they are at as they prepare for class each week and take on the challenge of reaching higher through peer inspiration and parent mentoring.  Usually, youth waver back and forth between levels for a while before taking up the challenge of committing to a higher level of education, having tasted the fruits.

            The “levels” are also incorporated in Vanguard in the classes available, with journeyman and master classes available to students at that level in different areas of study.

*Apprentice: (knowledge)-basic learning of knowledge or facts.  The apprentice did more of the basics until he could master them and move onto the next level, where he could put them to more practical application. (i.e. in “The Single Shard”, the apprentice gathered clay and learned about the best kind  of clay and how to gather it.)

*Journeyman: (understanding)-the taking of knowledge and applying it to their own life or to a skill to learn.  (i.e.  Again, in the same book, the young man then starts throwing the clay and using the kiln to create his own work.) Proverbs 4:7:  7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

*Master: (Intelligence) the knowledge is incorporated so deeply and applied so completely that the person can now take it and teach, inspire, and share that skill with others, acting, and thereby changing the world around them. John 3:21: But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Quote from Bednar's book, "Increase in Learning": "You and I may know the right things to do, but intelligence involves more than just knowing.  If you and I are intelligent, we will consistently do the right things.  Knowing that the gospel is true is important, good, and necessary.  Intelligence is consistently being true to the gospel that we know." (pg. 75)

I like the following quote by Neal A. Maxwell to go with this:

Educating and training our desires clearly requires understanding the truths of the gospel, yet even more is involved. President Brigham Young confirmed, saying, “It is evident that many who understand the truth do not govern themselves by it; consequently, no matter how true and beautiful truth is, you have to take the passions of the people and mould them to the law of God” (in Journal of Discourses, 7:55).

“Do you,” President Young asked, “think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not” (in Journal of Discourses, 7:55). Thus knowing gospel truths and doctrines is profoundly important, but we must also come to love them. When we love them, they will move us  (master level!) and help our desires and outward works to become more holy.

Each assertion of a righteous desire, each act of service, and each act of worship, however small and incremental, adds to our spiritual momentum. Like Newton’s Second Law, there is a transmitting of acceleration as well as a contagiousness associated with even the small acts of goodness."

Glimpse into a youth's perspective on her phases of learning

Here is Anna's art that she drew to go with it...what an amazing youth!

The Phases of Learning

by Anna Lynn Peterson

This is the beat, the rhythm warm.

your heart will warn you of a coming storm.

your core will always hold you together,

but don’t you imagine there’s more than this center?

You knows there’s more

and need to explore!

Anything, anywhere, all the time. there’s nothing you can’t do!

Love to learn and let yourself go,

and your brilliance is sure to show.

Suddenly you see the world and all your tunnels connect.

You can’t believe you had been under

all this wonder.

what should you do?  what will make you soar?

what will you call yours?

Then a voice steps in. He says, “time to begin.”

“On what?” you complain, but are corrected.

“Look around you!”, the man projected. “lets touch the sky.”

“Why?

What good could that do?” you ask, but follow your guide.

“Anything, but let God decide.”

We constructed my wings, and the man let go.

I passed the clouds and now I know.

Eternity of space surrounding me.

My mission in action and corse well set,

Thou my past I won’t forget.

This is what I need to do, fly above yet never let go

of the beautiful picture from my journey below.

now I go onward, ever far,

to help another on a distant star. 

In one beautiful poem, Anna has captured the heart of so much we try to allow the youths to discover for themselves in Vanguard...personal mission, turning to God for His truth for them, a vision of their great potential when working with Him...

...but like most forms of art, this is a poem that has many meanings and will mean something different for everyone. Thank you, Anna, for sharing!

Education that allows our best to shine...

My daughter and I were discussing "Tom Sawyer" the other day.  My daughter writes the book marks for our group and in it she had the question:

Huckleberry was filled with admiration of Tom's facility in writing, and the sublimity of his language. What does this show about education? 

This really made me think and I answered her: "To be educated expands your influence and capacity to influence others.  People will listen to you more and be influenced by you more.  And, education spills over into every corner of our lives.  Our education can bring out the best that is within us, by giving us the means to communicate that best ."

 
I tried to describe it this way:  It's like the inside of us is covered with talent, insights, and abilities that are amazing and unique.  But they are trapped inside until we communicate them with the world. One of the purposes of education is to find mediums (art, poetry, song, writing, experimenting, speech, building, you name it!) that will give those talents, truths and perspectives voice and a path out of ourselves to be shared with others.  Although this probably lies in the realm of the "crust" of leadership, it is valuable for the "core to be communicated more effectively.

One of the parts of the overall mission statement of Vanguard Youth is:

Helping the youth find value in their own unique mission and introduce them to various communication styles so that they may communicate that mission to the world

A good education allows our inner genius to shine, giving it a path out of the inner recesses of our souls.

God knows what kind of education we need

"Real life Education"--by Pres. Eyring (see also short video "Learning with our hearts": Celestial web vs. World-wide-web :)...)

Spiritual Learning Gives Purpose to Secular Learning

Our first priority should go to spiritual learning. For us, reading the scriptures would come before reading history books. Prayer would come before memorizing those Spanish verbs. A temple recommend would be worth more than standing first in our graduating class. But it is also clear that spiritual learning would not replace our drive for secular learning.
The Lord clearly values what you will find in that history book. And He favors not only Spanish verbs but also the study of geography. His educational charter requires that we have “a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” (D&C 88:79). There is also an endorsement for questions we study in the sciences. It is clear that putting spiritual learning first does not relieve us from learning secular things. On the contrary, it gives our secular learning purpose and motivates us to work harder at it.
To keep spiritual learning in its proper place, we will have to make some hard choices of how we use our time. But there should never be a conscious choice to let the spiritual become secondary. Never. That will lead to tragedy. Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.

God Knows What You Need to Know

Part of the tragedy you must avoid is to discover too late that you missed an opportunity to prepare for a future only God could see for you. The chance to learn another language is for me a painful example. My father was born in Mexico. He grew up speaking Spanish as his first language. I lived in his home for more than 20 years. Sadly, I never asked him to teach me a word of Spanish. But my Church assignments have caused me to have contacts in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It was no accident that I was born into a home with a Spanish-speaking father.
My father was a great teacher. He was a chemist. He even kept a blackboard in our basement for his children. He was eager to teach me mathematics. He spent hours trying to help me solve problems for my physics classes. He pled with me to think more often about those things that then seemed so uninteresting and unimportant. Years later I was called by the Lord to the Presiding Bishopric of the Church and given responsibilities for computing and communications systems. What a blessing I might have had if I had followed with my father the counsel I am giving to you now.
Your life is carefully watched over, as was mine. The Lord knows both what He will need you to do and what you will need to know to do it. You can with confidence expect that He has prepared opportunities for you to learn. You will not recognize those opportunities perfectly, as I did not. But when you put the spiritual things first in your life, you will be blessed to feel directed toward certain learning, and you will be motivated to work harder. You will recognize later that your power to serve was increased, and you will be grateful. Your service may not be in what the world would recognize as a lofty calling. But remember that when the real value of service becomes clear in the judgment of God, some people who worked in quiet anonymity will be the real heroes.

Different stages of absorbing and processing information in kids

I came across this great article by Susan Wise Bauer, that helps us understand why our 12 year olds in Vanguard don't reason or process information the same way our 15 year olds do :)...why when we ask them to reason and apply it is so challenging at a younger age, when they are just getting into using logic to reason about what they are learning.  I included the entire first part of the article, and give complete credit to her and her genius with no profit to myself, other than the betterment of the world around me, and therefore a benefit to myself :)...

What is Classical Education?

by Susan Wise Bauer

Classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called the trivium.

The first years of schooling are called the “grammar stage” — not because you spend four years doing English, but because these are the years in which the building blocks for all other learning are laid, just as grammar is the foundation for language. In the elementary school years — what we commonly think of as grades one through four — the mind is ready to absorb information. Children at this age actually find memorization fun. So during this period, education involves not self-expression and self-discovery, but rather the learning of facts. Rules of phonics and spelling, rules of grammar, poems, the vocabulary of foreign languages, the stories of history and literature, descriptions of plants and animals and the human body, the facts of mathematics — the list goes on. This information makes up the “grammar,” or the basic building blocks, for the second stage of education.

By fifth grade, a child’s mind begins to think more analytically. Middle-school students are less interested in finding out facts than in asking “Why?” The second phase of the classical education, the “Logic Stage,” is a time when the child begins to pay attention to cause and effect, to the relationships between different fields of knowledge relate, to the way facts fit together into a logical framework.

A student is ready for the Logic Stage when the capacity for abstract thought begins to mature. During these years, the student begins algebra and the study of logic, and begins to apply logic to all academic subjects. The logic of writing, for example, includes paragraph construction and learning to support a thesis; the logic of reading involves the criticism and analysis of texts, not simple absorption of information; the logic of history demands that the student find out why the War of 1812 was fought, rather than simply reading its story; the logic of science requires that the child learn the scientific method.

The final phase of a classical education, the “Rhetoric Stage,” builds on the first two. At this point, the high school student learns to write and speak with force and originality. The student of rhetoric applies the rules of logic learned in middle school to the foundational information learned in the early grades and expresses his conclusions in clear, forceful, elegant language. Students also begin to specialize in whatever branch of knowledge attracts them; these are the years for art camps, college courses, foreign travel, apprenticeships, and other forms of specialized training.

Of course, there are kids that are more logical and more ready for "rhetoric" sooner than others, but it can explain the struggle (hence, blank stares) that younger scholars experience when asked to reason and apply what they are learning.

Transition to Scholar article by Rachel DeMille

"TJEd Milestones – Transition to Scholar: The Moment of Becoming

by Rachel DeMille
If you could change anything about you, what would it be? I’m not talking about plastic surgery or losing a few pounds. But seriously, if you could really, truly improve the inner you and become more like your very best self, what would you change? Whatever it is, there’s a good chance that if you could go back in time to change it you’d end up dealing with lessons most naturally learned between ages 9 and 14.
This transition from Love of Learning Phase (childhood) to Scholar Phase (youth) is one of the most important facets of a young person’s education. Those who transition well during this time will almost invariably have an excellent youth experience; those who do not will likely continue to struggle even into adulthood. Fortunately, this transition is natural and most healthy children will automatically make many of the transitional changes on their own.
The challenge is that parents who were trained on the conveyor belt may not realize what is happening, and may in fact, block, slow or otherwise frustrate this natural process. This is why it is essential for parents to recognize and understand this vital transition in a young person’s life.
Transition occurs in most girls between ages nine and twelve and in most boys between eleven and fourteen. Some psychologists speak of this age as the root source of most problems in men, who are often pushed too hard at this age to “put away childish things” and take on adult responsibility. One of the biggest pressures many boys feel at this age is pressure to perform academically. Girls are usually ahead of boys at this age, yet boys are often pushed to keep up to girl “grade levels.” And girls can struggle because of the enormous amount of social pressure put on them during this Transition.
Montessori observed: “The middle age crisis signals that the adult is on their way to death; in contrast, transition excitement about learning signals that the child is on their way to life.”
J. S. Ross expressed that a “being from another planet, who did not know the human race, could easily take these ten year olds to be the adults of the species; supposing they had not met the real adults.”
The vital lessons of Transition, as outlined by Wayne Dyer in What Do You Really Want for Your Children? include:

• Take smart risks
• Don’t put yourself down
• Inner Approval: Don’t emphasize external measures of success
• Don’t complain or whine
• Don’t be judgmental
• Never get “bored”
• Learn from mistakes
• Learn to lose and win well
• Practice smart self-reliance
• Choose to feel at peace and serene
• Realize that life is about smiling
• Never fear your own greatness

Consider how important this list of lessons is, and you’ll realize just how vital this period is in each young person’s life. Leading child developmental psychologists Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget taught that adults can go back and “renegotiate” this phase if they didn’t fully learn the lessons, but what parent wouldn’t want their children to learn these as youth
The healthy child naturally learns all of these and skills openly or subconsciously—unless they are squashed. Unfortunately, the conveyor belt often rejects Intuitive Thinking and simultaneously over-emphasizes the need for Higher Thinking skills at an early age. To compensate, many young students turn to Memorizing as a way to fake Higher Thinking skills that their brains are unprepared to utilize (and which are developed during puberty). They fail to truly emphasize the vital lessons of Transition and beyond because they get stuck in memorized learning.
Parents can have a significant positive influence on this simply by helping children identify and choose wisely in the Transition. Of course, this starts by not pushing too hard when the child is still learning Intuitive Skills, and in waiting to push higher-order academic subjects until the child’s natural maturity has equipped him for Higher Thinking.
When done well, Transition to Scholar is an exciting and wonderful time for a child on the leadership path, and parents largely choose which path the child will take—at least at this point in her life. The right choice can make a huge difference in the education of each child, and in the life mission she will pursue and the success she will have.
Apart from your children’s progress, if you want to revisit and renegotiate anything on the list above, it is never too late. In fact, one of the most effective ways to gain (or strengthen) that inner lesson you never quite mastered is to actively help your child through the process."

http://www.tjed.org/resources/newsletter/april-2012-inspire/#transition

Racquetball and the Liberal Arts

The following is a personal parable about "why a liberal arts education":

For Valentine's Day, my honey and I tried out a free membership to Gold's Gym for one reason: racquetball. Quinn is quite the natural with racquetball as he is with other sports, and so the two of us together is somewhat laughable. The first game, I scored a miraculous 5 as he got back into the groove, and then the next game was more normal with a 21:1 finish, followed by a game of 21:0. (There was actually a game that was 21:13 or 14, but that is definitely the anomaly :)...)

I am okay with this. It is really quite impressive to watch Quinn's z-serve zap back and forth faster than I can respond to, and sometimes I actually return his serves (very rewarding, I assure you :)...) He even let me in on the "secret" of how to know what kind of serve he is doing to do based upon where he bounces the ball before he serves it...as if my brain is going to work fast enough to see where he bounces it, translate that to a serve, and then make my old-mom body respond fast enough to actually return it?! Funny :). As I told him, it is all I can do to hit the ball when I can, let alone plan where it is going to go when I hit it, or try to figure out where it is going to end up after bouncing all over.

Towards the end of our second day playing racquetball, part of me kind of gave up. I mean, my overall score was maybe in the twenties (thinking optimistically), and he was in the 100's--literally :). What was the point, I thought briefly. Is he really having fun? Am I really getting better?

Well, last night, playing basketball with my women, I was in a situation where I was dribbling up to half court with one woman in hot pursuit on the side, and another fixed at the half-court side line, ready to trap me. As I raced towards the second one and the one on my left closed in, I saw in my mind in a flash what I needed to do, stopped quickly, zipped the basketball across to the left, cut across behind the woman who had been on my side, and dashed left, leaving the two of them to crash together.

I don't know if I described it well or not, but the point is, I was actually able to see a situation ahead of time, and act quickly to respond to it--just like I had been practicing in that racquetball game! I am very much a thinker and a planner, hesitant to quick action, weighing out every possibility in my brain before acting: good in some situations, not good in racquetball :). Yet, my time on the racquetball court helped train my brain to think and act in a pressure situation.

So--relevance--as I am going through my notes from previous seminars, etc, I came across this quote from an article written by Robert Harris, "On the Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education" (my copy is from March 14, 1991). It is under the heading: "The more you learn, the more you can learn" (which goes against my old belief that my brain would just fill up and run out of room--not logical, but real to me :).)

"Good learning habits can be transferred from one subject to another. When a basketball player lifts weights or plays handball in preparation for basketball, no one asks, 'What good is weightlifting or handball for a basketball player?' because it is clear that these exercises build the muscles, reflexes and coordination that can be transferred to basketball--building them perhaps better than endless hours of basketball practice would. the same is true of the mind. Exercise in various areas builds brainpower for whatever endeavor you plan to pursue."

So is that why Yale was content with "Celtic Archaelogy" as a credit towards fulfilling my generals for graduation? :) [We learned about the "evolution" of the safety pin from the dawn of time, and I wondered how that was going to help in my overall education--now I know :)!]

(For full article, see: Robert Harris: "On the purpose of a liberal arts education" at http://www.virtualsalt.com/libarted.htm)

It just showed me how we cannot underestimate the value of learning certain skills and core leadership principles... and what they can do for the rest of our education!

Vanguard Mission Statement--How to!

The mission of this group is to empower the youth with a sense of personal mission and enable them to move forward with that mission by:


(1)  Encouraging faith in God as their ultimate mentor and source of truth through the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ:

I believe that a person must have a sense of obligation to a purpose or person higher than themselves to truly fulfill a meaningful mission.

I also believe that gaining intelligence is not gaining IQ, but that intelligence is, rather, "the application of what we know for righteousness" or truth. (Quote from David Bednar) I believe that the pathway to true intelligence involves the acquiring and applying/understanding truth and then using that truth to impact the world around us.

I believe that the Holy Ghost is the testator to all truth and will not only confirm truth in a person, but will enable and expand the mind of the earnest seeker of truth to gain more truth.

(2) Helping them find value in their own unique mission and introduce them to various communication styles so that they may communicate that mission to the world:
There are different stages in coming to a sense of mission, that can be assisted or facilitated through the right environment.
This time of a youth's life is also golden for developing tools with which they can express that mission.
Tools to help expand concept of mission

Great "kid's" books--I find I am never too old for a book with a good message...these are great for devotionals or just perspective grabbers:

 "The Treasure" by Uri Shulevitz --trusting inspiration and personalized direction

"The Happy Dromedary"--finding the tools you need, despite what other's may think
"The Apple-Pip Princess"--doing what you can with what you have, with miraculous results
"Leo the Late Bloomer" By Robert Kraus--everyone blooms in their own good time :)
"Just the way you are" by Max Lucado--sometimes what God needs for us to accomplish our mission may look different from what we think we need.

THE OUTCAST
By Adam Hall

A man walked into a room, and all who were there fell completely silent. He wore no crown of gold and bore no rank, but all who knew him knew him as their leader.

He had power of sight and sound; through fire, water, and air he learned. The first two very different from each other, but the last one feeds and destroys them both, working together to find knowledge of truth, and of evil.

He was raised by evil but chose to do good.

He was told vicious lies but chose to find truth.

He deserted the evil and entered the good.

He entered a quest to find only truth but gained much more. He gained friendships only imagined before, and gained knowledge and skills that were dreamed of by all.

This man was an outcast at first, hated by everyone who knew or saw him.

He was labeled as a trouble maker, a member of the evil.

Until one man saw in him free will, free will to do good, not evil. This man helped him on his way, became his first true friend as some might say. He guided him through trials and tasks, helping him choose but not making the choice.

Until the day when finally, the outcast had to go on alone, to find for himself the truth of all his questions. When everything had ended, he knew much more than he had already known.

And when he walked once more across the land, he was known no more as an outcast, but as a leader - strong, bold, and truthful. A leader but for good and not for ill.

A man walked into a room, and all who were there fell deadly silent. He wore no crown of gold and bore no rank, but at the end of the day, all who looked upon him wept.

A man who was evil had decided to find good and became an outcast, then ended his quest by becoming a leader. He had been chosen.

That had been his mission, and he had done it well.

--Adam the Bowhunter

Scriptural references/People:
Moses (Bible and Book of Mormon)
Nephi (1 Ne. 3:7--Book of Mormon)
Abinadi: "It matters not what man can do" Abinadi vs. Army :)
(Mosiah 13:1-7, Moses-like)
Doctrine and Covenants 88:76-80 (LDS Scripture)

(3) Helping them come face-to-face with greatness as they study the world, history, people, and science, to prepare them to become future leaders in society: Hence, the class structure and lenses.

(4)  Creating an environment of respect, decency, trust and confidence:

Creating an environment of respect, decency, trust and confidence is essential to enabling a youth to share what they have learned throughout the week and vocally participate enough to create a truly synergistic environment.

(5) Teaching service-oriented leadership
Service Oriented Leadership is an essential aspect of preparing a youth to use their mission to serve... which is truly the only way to completely fulfill a mission--by putting it into practice!  The missions we are given are never wholly for ourselves, and the youth need to know that.  Try to bring in relevance of personal missions to service opportunities as much as possible.

Young adulthood can be a very selfish time, which is constricting to their self-esteem and confidence. When they are engaged in meaningful service, youth find value in others and learn to appreciate diversity, find strength in themselves as they do things that aren't for immediate gratification, and realize what they have to be grateful for.

The service project opportunities, service in leadership positions within the group, and teaching moments are all great ways to re-inforce this concept.