Me, Myself, and Why

Students begin the Inspire and Impact civic leadership program by becoming curious about who they are and how others experience them. A playful memory about a favorite childhood toy opens the door to reflection on personal values, strengths, perceptions, and the qualities they want to develop.

Big idea

Leadership is not something students wait to become. It grows from what they value, how they understand themselves, and how they choose to show up with and for others.

Participation and care

Offer more than one way to reflect or share. Students may speak, write, draw, create, work with a partner, use a private response, or pass when a prompt feels personal. Keep student ownership of their stories, examples, and choices at the center.

01 · Prepare

See the learning and gather what you need.

The complete teacher guidance is built into this page. Open a separate file only when it helps you facilitate or gives students a place to work.

Students will

Recall and share a favorite childhood toy or object and explain why it mattered.
Consider how different people might describe them and compare those perceptions with how they want to be known.
Choose one leadership quality they want to practice as they begin the civic action research program.

Materials

None required.
Optional: index cards, sticky notes, or a student journal for private reflection.

Teacher background

Young people may think leadership is a future title or a role for a certain kind of person. This experience makes leadership visible now—in listening, responding, including others, following through, and acting on what matters.

02 · Facilitate

Follow the experience flow.

Move through the sequence at a pace that fits your group. These experiences are designed to be concrete, personal, and choice-filled.

Spark inquiry

4 minutes

1
Frame the experience: every leader starts by understanding who they are.
2
Invite students to remember one toy or object they loved when they were younger and why it mattered.
3
Every student shares in a pair or trio; then invite two or three brief whole-group shares. Bridge to the values the object may reveal—adventure, creativity, comfort, connection, competition, or feeling capable.

Deepen inquiry

6 minutes

1
Invite silent reflection, then optional partner sharing: What three words might someone who knows, likes, and understands you use? What three words might someone who sometimes misunderstands or struggles with you use? What words do you most want people to use?
2
Remind students that perceptions are information to consider, not fixed truths. They may keep any response private.
3
Invite volunteers to share one word or comparison they noticed.

Connect and act

3–5 minutes

1
Make the leadership connection: how people experience you is part of your leadership.
2
Ask each student to choose one quality and complete: “I will practice being ___ by ___.”
3
Close: identity is knowing what matters to you; leadership is choosing to act on it; civic leadership is doing that with and for other people.

03 · Facilitator notes

Keep student ownership at the center.

Use these as reminders, not rules that make the experience feel heavy.

Teacher moves

Keep the pace light and energetic; the goal is meaningful entry, not deep analysis of every response.
Use invitations rather than forced disclosure. Students may pass or write privately.
Listen for strengths, values, and places where students may feel misread; revisit students’ chosen leadership qualities when they begin selecting roles and issues for action research.

04 · Facilitation materials

Open only what you will use.

The teacher guide is already on this page. These supporting files have a separate classroom purpose.

Supporting materialPresentation slidesUse the revised slide deck to lead the experience.Supporting materialStudent Guide 1 · Me, Myself, and WhyDownloadable student reflection and leadership-intention guide.