Nine hundred fifty-two outstanding 4th-8th graders participated in Education in Action’s summer 2015 Lone Star Leadership Academy camps. Additionally, 30 student alumni returned to serve in a leadership role as youth facilitators. These young leaders were selected for the Lone Star Leadership Academy camps based on demonstrated academic success and leadership ability, an educator recommendation, and involvement in school/community activities. The participating students, representing communities across Texas, traveled to Dallas/Fort Worth (4th, 5th & 6th graders), Austin/San Antonio (5th, 6th & 7th graders), and Houston/Galveston (6th, 7th & 8th graders) to take part in the camps.
During the weeklong, overnight Lone Star Leadership Academy camps, these distinguished students developed leadership skills while learning about the great state of Texas. Participants experienced what they are learning in school through visits to historically, politically, scientifically, and environmentally significant sites. Venues included places such as the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, and the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on the Dallas/Fort Worth program; the offices of participants’ state legislators at the Texas State Capitol, The Bullock Texas State History Museum, bat watching on the Lone Star Riverboat, and The Alamo on the Austin/San Antonio program; and NASA, a boat tour of Galveston Bay with a marine biologist, the San Jacinto Battleground Monument, and Moody Gardens on the Houston/Galveston program.Career speakers introduced participants to a wide variety of unique career and internship opportunities during each camp.
In Rockwall ISD, Logan Hutton from Stevenson Elementary and Max Abramsky from Williams Middle School participated in the program.