Standing out in the crowd . . .

Sunday is a "normal" post day for me so I have spent the last few minutes going through my blog folder to choose a topic and there are plenty to choose from.  I want to share the video of Bill Gates TED talk last week that I blogged about here, but thought I'd share a more personal reflection on our young people and our school system.

Our schools, teams of students, and individual students have recently received local, state, and national recognition for achievement.  I have blogged about many of these achievements, but I am more proud of who we are individually and collectively.  As I told our We The People Team, placing seventh nationally is an exceptional honor, but I am also as proud, if not more, for the stories that Gretchen shared about how other teams became our biggest boosters.  Our kids are competitive, but they are also collaborative and supportive of others.  They don't resort to smack talk and game playing.  They do their thing with confidence and humility that results in respect by others.

I believe that this respect is a byproduct of our work in the system focused on our Outcomes and Indicators and our deep belief in collaboration and consensus.  Another example with students is Bear Metal our robotics team receiving the Chairman's Award, the highest award in the First Robotics world.  The award is given to teams that support the mission of the organization and that demonstrate collaboration and support in a competitive environment.

Please consider sharing with me and those that follow the blog other stories about young people and adults that demonstrate this important characteristic of our culture.