“I can see a clear difference in the class who had the leadership training all year and the class that hadn’t. It’s a big difference. The students who had the leadership training take their work seriously, but they’re also a lot of fun to be with every day. They help one another, they’re proactive and productive, and they ask for help when they need it instead of waiting until the last week before I post grades to ask questions. They’re responsible young people who are learning the valuable skill of leading themselves, instead of waiting for someone else to do it.”

—Trudi Conaway, 7th grade teacher at Bernardo Heights Middle School, California.