🫶🏽 Voices of Welcome: Middle School Leaders for Belonging
🎒 An Afterschool Program for Ages 12–14
🗣️ Real Talk. Real Change. Real Connection.
Middle schoolers are finding their voices—and they want to use them for good. Voices of Welcome is a creative, leadership-building afterschool program where students explore identity, equity, empathy, and inclusion in meaningful, age-appropriate ways. Through storytelling, collaboration, and hands-on projects, students become powerful advocates for creating schools and communities where everyone feels respected, valued, and welcome.
🧭 How It Works
Each session blends reflection, action, and creativity through:
🧠 Identity & Inclusion Exploration: Activities that help students reflect on who they are, what they value, and how they can support others.
💬 Dialogue Circles: Guided group discussions where students practice listening, empathy, and respectful disagreement.
🎨 Creative Expression: Projects using art, writing, and digital tools to raise awareness and spark inclusion.
🧩 Leadership-in-Action Challenges: Group missions that turn ideas into impact—right in their school or neighborhood.
🎭 Perspective-Shifting Scenarios: Skits, roleplay, or short films that build empathy and help students recognize bias, exclusion, and opportunity for change.
🛠️ Sample Missions
Students take the lead in real-world, community-building projects like:
🎨 Welcome Wall Project: Design a collaborative mural or display that represents the diversity and values of your school community.
📣 "Be the Ally" Campaign: Create posters, short videos, or social media content that teach peers how to stand up against bullying and exclusion.
🗺️ Mapping Belonging: Interview classmates and staff to identify where people feel most welcome—and where changes are needed.
🎤 Open Mic for Change: Host a storytelling or poetry event where students share lived experiences and dreams for a more inclusive world.
💌 Kindness Ambassadors: Launch a program that checks in with new students or those who may feel left out—and offers them friendship and support.
🎉 Voices of Welcome Forum
The program ends with a powerful Voices of Welcome Forum, where students:
🎤 Share personal stories, projects, or performances
🎨 Present art or media that advocate for inclusion and fairness
🏅 Receive “Youth Leader for Belonging” recognition
🌍 Invite community members to learn, listen, and commit to kindness
A meaningful way to amplify youth voices—and spark ongoing change.
🎁 Take-Home Leader Kits
Every participant gets a Voices of Welcome Leader Kit, including:
🧠 Identity journal + reflection prompts
🎨 Activism art supplies
🫶🏾 Ally action cards and peer support ideas
🗣️ Conversation starters to use with family or friends
📚 Mini zine on belonging, empathy, and leadership
Great for continuing the learning—and spreading the movement—at home.
🌟 What Students Walk Away With
🧠 Self-Awareness: A deeper understanding of who they are and how they can lead
💬 Empathy & Dialogue Skills: Confidence to listen, speak, and connect across differences
🤝 Teamwork: Experience creating change through collaboration
🎯 Agency: Real tools to notice injustice and take positive action
🌈 Impact: The knowledge that their voices matter
✨ Because Middle Schoolers Are Ready to Lead with Heart
Voices of Welcome helps students create the kind of world they want to live in—one where care, inclusion, and respect are more than just words.
💬 Their voices.
🫂 Their choices.
🌍 Their chance to lead.
Let the journey begin.