Part Four: Heard
Share Power: Treat me with respect and give me a say.
“Elevate has prepared me to be a leader by building my confidence, improving my communication, increasing my perseverance, and to lead with empathy and purpose. Mentoring with Little Elevate has given me a chance to lead by example.”
— Elevate Student
There is a subtle difference between doing something for a young person and doing something with them.
Search Institute calls that difference Share Power.
Developmental relationships treat young people with respect. Adults listen to their ideas, involve them in decisions, collaborate with them, and create meaningful opportunities for them to lead.
This doesn't mean adults abandon authority.
It means young people are treated as people whose voices matter.
At Elevate, that's not an add-on to the program.
It's built into it.
Students become the mentors.
One of the clearest examples is Little Elevate.
High school students complete an intensive training and certification process in communication, listening, teaching, facilitation, conflict management, and leadership.
Then something important happens.
We hand them responsibility.
Those high school students become mentors to younger students.
They lead lessons. Facilitate conversations. Solve problems. Model character. Build relationships.
The person who has been receiving investment begins investing in someone else.
That's developmental leadership.
And students feel it.
Nationally, 68% of Elevate students hold at least one leadership position.
Those students aren't waiting until adulthood to contribute.
They're contributing now.
Voice changes identity.
When young people consistently experience adults making every decision for them, they may learn that leadership belongs to someone else.
Developmental relationships communicate something different:
Your perspective matters.
Your contribution matters.
You are capable of carrying responsibility.
One Elevate parent described watching that transformation in her daughter:
“Elevate helps my daughter a lot with her social skills. She's more confident, speaks up for herself, and her grades have risen, she's now an honor roll student.”
“Speaks up for herself” may be one of the most important phrases in that entire story.
Invest in young people becoming leaders now.
Your support gives students opportunities to find their voice, lead others, and become mentors themselves.
Because ultimately, Elevate isn't building young people who need an Elevate Teacher-Mentor beside them forever.
We're developing young people who increasingly know how to lead their own lives, and influence others for good.
The strongest mentor doesn't create a follower.
They develop another leader.
No one gets there alone.
No One Gets There Alone
A five-part series on developmental relationships.
Part One: Known · Part Two: Challenged · Part Three: Supported · Part Four: Heard · Part Five: Inspired