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9th Grade  Project 1 week

Future Leaders Brand Jam

Rohan M
Updated
Collaboration
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Academic Mindset
Content Expertise
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The Challenge

When a new community begins without a clearly defined shared identity, values, norms, and communication practices, you often see confusion, uneven participation, weak trust, and preventable conflict. Across schools, workplaces, and civic groups, this lack of alignment makes it harder for people to belong, collaborate effectively, and sustain a culture that matches their stated purpose.

Challenge Question

How might we create a student-designed brand identity for the Future Leaders program so that this 9th grade cohort can build a strong sense of belonging, shared expectations, and purpose from the start of the year?

Competencies

  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.

Learning Partners and Clients

No external learning partners or clients are required for this launch experience. The primary client is the Future Leaders cohort itself, since students are creating a brand kit that will shape their own community identity, norms, and rituals for the year. Program staff can serve as the audience and implementation partners by reviewing student proposals, helping synthesize final choices, and using the finished identity kit throughout the program.

Phase Overview

Phase Key Experiences
Discover
I can experience the Future Leaders program as a real launch challenge by joining my cohort in a fast-paced identity kickoff, noticing what makes this program different, and naming the shared values, expectations, and questions that matter most if we want to build a strong community together.
Examine
I can gather evidence about what helps a community thrive by listening to my classmates’ stories, strengths, and hopes so I can identify values and norms that reflect who we are. I can analyze the program’s unique features and expectations so I can explain how this experience will differ from traditional school. I can compare ideas across groups, look for patterns, and discuss tradeoffs so I can help shape a brand identity that is authentic, inclusive, and useful all year. I can use questioning and reflection to determine which values, rituals, and messages will help our cohort feel belonging, accountability, and purpose.
Engineer
I can develop and defend a student-created Future Leaders brand kit with my team by turning our research into shared values, norms, visuals, slogans, and signature rituals that our cohort can actually use throughout the year.
Do
I can put our cohort brand into action by using its language and rituals during the session, gathering peer feedback on what feels clear and meaningful, and analyzing that evidence to see how well our shared identity supports belonging, collaboration, and accountability.
Share
I can share our Future Leaders brand kit in an interactive cohort showcase where we present our values, norms, visuals, and rituals, explain how our thinking changed, and reflect on what I learned about my voice, strengths, and role in shaping our community.