FranklinCovey | Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

(Cedar Valley of Iowa) – WATERLOO—Orange Elementary has been designated by FranklinCovey as only the second Lighthouse School in Iowa.

FranklinCovey visited Orange last week to confirm Leader in Me has been implemented as a whole school transformational model. It involves academics, leadership and a culture where you can see, hear and feel the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

“Our entire learning community (students, staff & parents) are honored and proud to be

chosen as a Lighthouse School. The keys to our mission, to educate, inspire and lead – make the world a better place, have been brought to life on this journey,” says Orange Principal, Teri Trask, “It has been exciting to be a part of the culture shift as we see students empowered through authentic leadership opportunities.”

Orange is now one of only 123 Lighthouse Schools in the world. The official announcement will be made at the Leader in MeR Symposium at UNI this week where Sean Covey, Senior Vice President of Innovations and Products at FranklinCovey will address educators and congratulate Orange on their achievement.

Orange will have a special celebration when the banner is presented.

The Leader in MeR Lighthouse School title is awarded by FranklinCovey to honor the attainment of a well-rounded leadership model. Lighthouse Schools serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools by meeting these standards:

Lighthouse Team
Leadership Environment
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction
Staff Collaboration
Student Leadership
Parent & Community Engagement
Leadership Events
Goal Tracking

Currently, there are 122 Lighthouse Schools internationally which serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools. Orange Elementary is the first Cedar Valley school to receive the designation, the second of the forty-four participating schools in Iowa.

Orange Elementary is one of the first 17 schools implementing the Leader in MeR through the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s Leader Valley initiative. Leader Valley is the talent development initiative of the Alliance & Chamber. Leader Valley’s primary focus is implementation of Leader in Me across school districts in the Cedar Valley. The Leader in Me R, based on the Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is creating leadership cultures in schools and instilling 21st Century soft skills of effectiveness in Cedar Valley students.

Trask adds that she believes the Cedar Valley will be celebrating more Lighthouse Schools in the near future thanks to the support of the Leader Valley. “We truly appreciate the positive synergizing with so many other Cedar Valley schools who are focused on improving academics, leadership and culture and empowering students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st Century. Leadership is definitely a TEAM SPORT in the Cedar Valley! ” says Trask.

For more information on Orange Elementary and the Waterloo Schools implementation of the Leader in Me, contact Tara Thomas, Communications Director by email to thomast@waterlooschools.org.

For more information on Leader Valley initiative and the Leader in MeR, contact Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director at the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber by calling (319)232-1156 or by email at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com. You can also visit

www.leadervalley.org.

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The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is pleased to announce the launch of a new website, leadervalley.org. This new resource features the Leader in Me initiative that is transforming leadership cultures in Cedar Valley schools. The Leader in Me is a whole school education transformation process that teaches leadership principles to students in K-12 schools and embeds leadership as a core within their school culture. Leader in Me was developed by corporate and personal leadership trainer Franklin-Covey.

The site and a series of new videos, created in partnership with Mudd Advertising, highlight Cedar Valley students, business leaders, and educators and the impact of Leader in Me in Cedar Valley schools.

Business leaders will see how Leader in Me is investing in tomorrow’s workforce and helping to build a stronger pool of talent. Examples of how 21^st century soft skills are being infused into the school culture are detailed on the site, as well as demonstrations of how authentic leadership opportunities are preparing students to be effective in college, career, and citizenship.

Statistics demonstrating the impact Leader in Me is having in the Cedar Valley is an important component of the site, along with an events calendar, latest news, and testimonials from educators and community leaders. There are also valuable resources for educators, information for parents and community members, and pages that include student leadership projects and stories.

“This new website really is a showcase of the Leader the Me in the Cedar Valley. It is the one place you can see all the exciting things taking place in all of our schools. The amazing student leaders are really the highlight of the site,” says Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director. “We believe that once you go to the site, you will understand the significant role Leader in Me has in the future of the Cedar Valley.”

The Leader Valley talent initiative, born out of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s priority to develop a strong workforce has been formed to expand the reach of leadership and 21st Century skill and leadership development opportunities to all students in the Cedar Valley. The Leader in Me is the primary focus of Leader Valley. For more information, visit the new website at www.leadervalley.org or contact Melissa Reade at (319)232-1156 or mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com.
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Tag Archives: FranklinCovey

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