“We empower middle schoolers to explore and launch ideas that put empathy and imagination into action.”

-TomTod Ideas, Inc.

How can we help our community thrive? 

Sixth-grade students at Lake Elementary in Hartville dreamed up more than a dozen solutions to that question while partnering with educators at TomTod Ideas, a nonprofit organization that inspires middle school students to act as positive agents of change in their communities. Some of the students’ suggestions:

• Establish a community garden.

• Build a handicapped-accessible playground.

• Create a community art space.

• Set up a sign language club at the middle school.

How they came up with these solutions is wrapped into a yearlong program called What If 101?, which connects students to their community while walking them through the design thinking process. Students spend weeks researching, brainstorming, collaborating, designing, and pitching ideas to business, government, and school district leaders. Through the process, they learn they have a “voice” and discover adults are willing to listen to and support their ideas.

Educators with TomTod have worked on similar projects with middle school students for the past ten years. Rob Lansdale, a TomTod educational consultant, says the organization creates programming specifically for 10- to 14-year-old children because it believes their perspectives are valuable and necessary for the community.

“Do not underestimate the brain of a middle schooler,” says Mr. Lansdale, who worked with preteens and teens as a youth minister for more than 20 years before joining TomTod. “They are fearless and will ‘dream up’ anything.” In contrast, he adds, adults are much more likely to doubt their own ideas.

With funding from the Jennings Foundation, Mr. Lansdale has been meeting weekly with three cohorts of gifted students at Lake Elementary since early in the school year. After spending five weeks contemplating projects that would make their school “happier, healthier, and safer,” the students directed their focus to the broader Hartville and Uniontown communities. Their first task was to interview adult leaders, such as Hartville’s mayor, city council members, and local business owners, to learn more about their neighborhood and to identify projects that could improve life for those who live and work in the area.  

Where do you spend most of your time in the community? What inspired you to do your job? What are you most proud of having done for the community? What struggles does the community face?

These are just a sampling of questions students asked the adults in a speedy interview format that kicked off this phase of the program. In one class session, the students questioned six different guests, adding inquiries about favorite foods and educational backgrounds to their lists of queries. When the interviews were complete, the students brainstormed among themselves and with the adults to identify the most important concerns uncovered in their discussions. These included the need for sidewalks along Hartville’s main roads, enhanced street lighting, and a desire for an affordable family restaurant in the downtown area.

“I was very impressed with the students’ follow-up questions,” says Mr. Lansdale. “We had discussed open- and closed-ended questions to prepare the students for the interviews. They know only open-ended questions will continue the discussion.”

That same day, Elaine Barkan, K-12 Gifted Consultant for Lake Local Schools, noticed that the students were very engaged with their adult guests. “They were learning those soft skills -- interacting with adults, being respectful, and feeling that respect in return through their conversations,” she remarks.

The next phase of the program involved solidifying the students’ ideas and determining how best to make them work. The students met in 15 separate groups with each choosing an idea they felt passionate about. To be viable, Mr. Lansdale emphasized, each idea had to meet three criteria: Is it (1) new and better; (2) needed and wanted; and (3) able to become real? 

“The real enthusiasm and energy comes when students get in their groups and focus on one idea,” says Patrick Gerber, also a TomTod consultant. “They are excited about creating this picture in their heads and then putting that vision into a plan. The day they get to share that with someone else is when their enthusiasm goes through the roof.”

That “day” happened recently after the students spent weeks creating digital and physical prototypes of their plans. Each group pitched an idea to community leaders who assembled again to hear and learn from the students. The adults evaluated the students’ presentations and offered suggestions as to what might make their ideas better. “The kids have done a great job,” remarks Hartville’s Mayor, Cindy Billings, after listening to the students’ pitches. “They have come up with great ideas that are actually doable, some of which we are already talking about in our meetings.”  

“I love hearing the young people’s enthusiasm,” adds Kelsey Wood, Director of Lake Township FISH, the food pantry in Hartville. “All of their ideas are tangible and could benefit our community. I love that they are taking ownership of their community and giving back while they are young.”

Ms. Barkan, the district’s gifted coordinator, says creating a legacy within the community is significant to the students. Through Mr. Lansdale’s leadership, she remarks, they have become confident in expressing their opinions. They have learned not every idea is selected, but that all suggestions are worth considering. They have learned how to work as a team, which requires “give and take.” 

“Most of all,” she adds, “they have learned they can make a difference. And that’s the big message here.”

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