BRYAN, Texas — Monday marked the first-ever Essential Ambassadors Camp, hosted for Bryan ISD junior high and high school students at the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley.
There, teens from all the district’s junior high and high school campuses used games and activities to build character and leadership abilities.
“We get to be on the same grounds as the superintendent," said Riena Mishima, Bryan High School senior. "So, hopefully, we can bring that back and they’ll be more approachable. And for things we want to get changed, we can talk to them directly.”
Students like Mishima hope to be good conduits for students to communicate better with each other, and with faculty. The Bryan schools nominated students to attend this camp, with the hope to reach varying sub-groups of kids within each school.
“So you can see they’re moving balls, doing all kinds of leadership stuff," said Brian Merrill, executive director of school leadership for Bryan ISD. "They’re just learning to cooperate and communicate in a better way.”
“And that’s strategic," added Ginger Carrabine, Bryan ISD superintendent. "That’s by design, to have them mix and mingle. Because we want to use the ambassadors as a district-level team of students.”
Not only did the 180 students participate in leadership exercises Monday, but they worked together to host a special formal dance for students with special needs over the weekend. Throughout the coming school year, they’ll re-congregate monthly for continual leadership work.
Already some students have expressed new ideas they’d like to take back this fall on how to improve their schools. Bryan ISD plans to continue hosting this program each summer for years to come.