Four Smith-Cotton High School seniors created a project to help their peers and were rewarded with national recognition.
A news release from the district says Makaio Cook, Isabel Juan, Draigon Stephens and Maekayla Walters earned first place in the Project-Based Learning category at the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) National Career Development Conference held May 5-7 in Dallas.
JAG is a nationwide program that prepares students for success during and after high school by focusing on employability skills and addressing community issues and solutions.
Smith-Cotton JAG Advisor Amanda Harvey said the Project-Based Learning Event is a presentation on a project, product or event developed at the students’ school or in their community during the current school year. The S-C group chose to focus on increasing mental health awareness.
“Our project included a presentation to eighth graders on mental health awareness and how to handle the stress of high school,” Stephens said. “We also planned activities to help our JAG classmates learn how to handle stress and develop healthy habits, including a presentation from Burrell Behavioral Health, visits to Soul Full Yoga studio and Kwench Juice Cafe, and a trip to the park.”
The JAG group also decorated the display windows outside the S-C High Student Commons with its “Your Mind Matters” logo and hung flyers with the logo and positive affirmations so the entire high school was aware of the project.
Harvey noted that JAG has a requirement for members to complete at least 10 service hours each year, “because there is much that can be learned from serving others.”
The group was overwhelmed after learning it had won.
“I was ecstatic and couldn’t believe they called our names for first place,” Walters said. “We were all so excited that our hard work paid off and we had a big group hug afterwards.”
Cook said the trip to Dallas for the national event was “a great way to end our senior year. JAG is like a family so it was fun taking a trip together.”
For Juan, involvement in JAG has presented opportunities that she otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
“Mrs. Harvey took us to job fairs and college visits, helped us fill out job applications and scholarship applications,” Juan said. “Being in JAG provided me with my first opportunity to attend a competition. The fact that we placed second at state and first at Nationals is surprising and something I’m proud of.”
Photo: Smith-Cotton High School seniors, from left, Makaio Cook, Isabel Juan, Draigon Stephens and Maekayla Walters display their first-place honors at the JAG National Career Development Conference in Dallas. The team won the Project-Based Learning competition. (Photo courtesy of Sedalia School District 200)