Montwood High School student activities director Ana Player has been selected as one of 15 educators nationwide to participate in the Lead4Change Fellowship, aimed at advancing student leadership.
The Lead4Change Fellowship is part of the Lead4Change Student Leadership Program, a free program for 6th-12th grade students that teaches leadership skills through hands-on service projects.
Fellows will participate in a year-long professional development program focused on enhancing their leadership skills and finding new ways to cultivate student leadership within their classrooms, allowing them to become part of a network shaping the future of student leadership development.
Player has been the student activities director at Montwood High School since 2017, where she also teaches leadership and serves as the student council advisor. She began her career in the Socorro Independent School District in 2011 as a middle school science teacher.
Over the past five years, Player has successfully implemented the Lead4Change curriculum. During this time, two student groups have received grants from the organization for their outreach service projects. She was thrilled to be named a Lead4Change Fellow.
“Using the Lead4Change resources has provided me supplement materials to an already busy classroom setting. Through this program, students work together to execute a project or activity that brings awareness or benefits those around them. The youth of today are facing a lot of challenges, and this gives them an opportunity to advocate for topics and causes they are passionate about. By being part of this fellowship, I hope to gain new ideas and perspectives on how to engage students more effectively and encourage them to use their voice for positive change in our community,” Player said.
Over the next year, fellows in the program will participate in exclusive professional development to sharpen their leadership skills; attend an all-expenses-paid retreat in Nashville for collaboration and celebration; and provide valuable insights that shape the future of Lead4Change programs and curriculums.