Ambassadors program gives students taste of leadership
RUSSELLVILLE –the Ambassadors program at Tharptown Elementary is giving students an introduction to leadership. The program gives elected fifth and sixth graders a chance to be in charge of projects, support classmates and learn responsibility.
This year’s Ambassadors includes six fifth graders and five sixth graders.
Counselor Amy Smith said the goal is to provide an early opportunity for students who may want to be part of the high school Ambassadors program or Junior Leaders.
“The students love it,” Smith said. “They like getting to do something important and help. They’re really excited about it.”
Students must maintain A’s and B’s, have good attendance, and be recommended by teachers.
Once nominated, they campaign among their peers, who vote for the ones who will serve as Ambassadors. Typically, five or six students from each grade are chosen.
“When they are in sixth grade, they get to hold offices, like president and vice president,” Smith said.
Smith has been leading the program for the past three years. Cassie Reed, who also serves as PTO president, helps coordinate it.
“We’ve really tried the last two years to utilize the Ambassadors more and grow the program, because I think it’s important for them to learn responsibility and how to lead and do things,” Smith said.
The elections spark enthusiasm throughout the school. Younger students also see the process firsthand. They are invited to the selection ceremony and encouraged to aim for the program by keeping up with grades and attendance.
Ambassadors stay busy with service projects throughout the year.
This year’s group plans to raise money for the Wildcat Cares Closet, a program which provides clothing, hygiene items and food for students in need. They also plan to organize an anti-bullying campaign.
In past years, the ambassadors visited a local nursing home at Christmas, bringing gifts and spending time with residents.
Smith said she was struck by how naturally students stepped into the moment.
“Sometimes kids, in those situations, they don’t know what to do,” she said. “But they just really took it and ran with it. They sat with those people and just talked to them and played games with them and took them gifts.”
That experience, she said, showed how much students can grow when given meaningful opportunities.
“I think we underestimate kids too much sometimes.”
Other projects include a campus cleanup in the spring, and a toy drive that functions much like an Angel Tree. Students help identify classmates in need and organize gifts for them with teachers providing support.
Smith said she is glad to see students embracing opportunities to learn and serve.
“I just really love getting to do this every year,” she said. “I’m just so proud of them and love to see what they accomplish and how they grow over time.”
