The Club of Leaders
A one-of-a-kind approach.
The Club Model
Weekly afterschool meetings give Hebrone School students the opportunity to serve in leadership positions as well as in smaller committees such as planning, maintenance, ethics, and monitoring.
Each committee has selected a president, vice president, secretary, and assistant secretary.
Students also have the rare opportunity to attend field trips to boost creativity and enhance learning through two community service projects.
The Club of Leaders’ influence is extending beyond students. Our team facilitates Community Learning Circles which provide space to adults and teachers interested in learning more about this unique approach for their children and themselves.
No other organization in Kinshasa has a youth program like the Club of Leaders. Our team is seeing incredible interest in this innovative program that puts students at the center of learning, problem solving, community service and leadership.
Without such a program, Hebrone students will continue to see themselves as unimportant members of their often-overlooked and underserved community.
What students receive.
Networks of supportive adults and opportunities for connectedness including social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development.
Guidance on the application of the five leadership skills that develop clear goals, form positive relationships with peers, and have supportive and involved families.
Stronger sense of identity, belief in the future, self-regulation, and self-efficacy as well as their social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral competence.
Applied critical thinking. Memorization of someone else’s words is not required in the Club. Rather, a student's own explanations is what is expected.
A place for intentional reflection that encourages the lifelong habit of asking oneself, “What am I learning and how can I use my knowledge to benefit myself and others?”
The practice of collaboration over competition to solve real world problems.
“As a teacher myself, I believe in the power of education. It is an honor to be a part of this organization that empowers Congolese students to take the knowledge learned within the walls of the classroom and apply it to the world in which they live.”
— Rebecca S.
Hear directly from students and teachers in the Malembe Rise Club of Leaders about how the club benefits them, both personally and as a community. The club uses the mighty baobab tree to symbolize the strength, connectedness, wisdom, longevity, and nurturing properties of a healthy community. The club, like the baobab tree, provides a canopy of support and possibility for current and future generations of student leaders.
Five Leadership Skills
Our innovative program addresses real life issues that children face every day through structured, supportive, and collaborative problem-solving activities.
Students develop and apply five leadership skills:
Observation
Research
Analysis
Community Service
Reflection
These leadership skills are applied to study real-world problems such as clean water, waste management, nutrition, and sustainability.
Hear from The Club of Leaders as they sing their anthem. They created this anthem as a group and sing it before each meeting.
A teacher from our partner school surprised the students with a song written just for them! Check out this beautiful piece inspired by the work of The Club of Leaders!
Spotlight: Meet student leader Esther.
Esther proves to be a fast learner who is eager to show us that she is a leader among her peers. Esther is vibrant, loud, confident, and discerning. Standing before seventy five of her peers in the 5th and 6th grade who are not yet involved in the Club of Leaders, she projects her booming voice to compensate for the lack of electricity and microphones.
Esther commands the floor like a seasoned teacher, inviting several students to join her as she folds a large cloth. She is now a leader among her peers as she instructs younger classmates on the benefits of collaboration and guiding them as they work together.
As they fold the cloth together she asks, “How does collaboration benefit us?” One by one, she calls on students who are eager to answer. One student responds, “When we work together the work becomes easier!” Another calls out, “When we work together we can encourage one another!” Another young student points out, “Look at how much time we have saved rather than doing it alone!”
This is the Club of Leaders - where students become leaders among their peers to solve problems together through critical thinking and reflection.
Young women like Esther deserve a place where they can grow, have a sense of belonging, and give back to their community. Esther’s growth and potential is vital to herself and her community. Because of you, Esther is able to attend the Club of Leaders and realize her full potential.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is as rich in the potential of young people as it is in natural resources and beauty. There are countless challenges and complexities to overcome, but the Club of Leaders model empowers students to work together and become catalysts for positive change in their communities and the world.