The journey through high school was, and is, and always will be a memorable experience…for some. Looking back, some people would say they connected with their soulmate, or met their best friend or a celebrity while in high school.  Others would say they've learned life skills that they attribute to personal success in college, the military, or the workforce. 

But there is another group of individuals who would describe their time in high school as a roller coaster ride, characterized by sudden changes and challenges from start to finish.

For the most part, the school system and the culture try to steer students toward college or another career direction in which they may or may not be motivated to go.  The expectation for success is to finish high school, enroll in college, receive a degree, then begin a career that requires a diploma. This path to individual and national success seems attainable. 

Unfortunately, some students face obstacles and distractions such as learning challenges, financial difficulties, stressors in their living environment, and chronic medical conditions that could inhibit an easy transition through high school.

Today, we learn from researchers that 16 to 24-year olds make up the loneliness population across culture, countries, and genders.  Teens and adolescents in this group say the top reasons they feel lonely are: they have no one to talk to; they feel disconnected from the world; they feel left out; and they feel misunderstood.

Reports published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) show that loneliness, in addition to substance abuse, victimization, depression, and employment during the school year, often cause high school students to get poor grades, underperform, or drop out of school. 

Although this group might be a small segment of the student population, it is a significant finding that is worth investing resources to reach and uplift this at-risk group so that they can experience belonging and inclusion.

Here is the good news.  Studies show that extracurricular activities in which students participate and apply academic skills to real-life situations or learn values can decrease isolation and increase students' motivation to achieve higher test scores, higher grade point average, and higher education.

In one example, Harvard Business Review published a study on February 21, 2017 that examined students’ involvement in leadership.  The co-authors of the article pointed to the importance of early leadership participation to develop students’ cognitive ability, self-confidence, motivation, and drive.

So then, what better way to help students succeed than to make it convenient for them to get involved in an extracurricular activity, such as RULE's Support Team, where students’ needs are paramount and where students learn a strategy for going in the direction of their goals and dreams.

RULE's Support Team will enlighten students on topics such as:

• The Dominant, Influencing, Steady, and Compliant personality types
• The format for setting goals, using the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Time-specific
• Community service projects to partner and plan ways to perform outreach work that benefits others in the neighborhood
• Leadership forum planning in which students position themselves to debate topics and network with the community

In addition, RULE offers our teens an opportunity to collaborate with mentors to help them…

• Realize their individual purpose
• Build team harmony
• Set goals
• Prioritize action steps
• Develop a personal vision
• Plan community service projects
• Lead small groups
• Learn study skills

Therefore, when teens in high school give us 50 hours of their time, about one hour a week for a year, RULE will present a series of leadership training to empower them to build a prosperous plan for their future and build close friendships along the way.

Based on students’ availability, a group of six students will come together by way of video communication or face-to-face for 60 minutes once a week.  At each meeting, students will either set new goals or review old goals plus will celebrate each member’s progress and forecast potential obstacles.  Furthermore, each team will select a catchy name to call their group.  And each member of the team will have a leadership role that will be valuable for team harmony. 

And the best part is…

…high school students of ALL grades can join the Support Team.