A bulletin board along the wing of sophomore classrooms at the Global Studies Program at Austin High School asks students to identify the characteristics of a problem-solver, a visionary and a pot-stirrer.
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Police Chief 
Austin Voices Director Allen Weeks on leadership strategies:This is much more than pop-art graffiti. It is a reflection of what these 120 sophomores explored over a semester of learning about leadership.
Throughout the semester, Forefront Austin had the opportunity to help these sophomore students interact with some of Austin’s foremost problem-solvers, visionaries and pot-stirrers. That led the students, working in teams of four-five members each, to identify an issue of local concern, to find a way to address that problem and foremost—to undertake a service-learning project.
Read the Winning Essays Below:
Sports Against Poverty
By Daniel Laden and Riley Longtain
A new awareness of poverty among many young Austinites led a team of five sophomores in the Austin High Global Studies Academy to donate “gently used” sports equipment to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area. Which was their biggest surprise? The support they received from their high school athletic department and a middle school principal or the excitement on the faces of the youngsters who now have more bats, balls, mitts and racquets with which to play? Brett Barrier, Kendall Brewer, Daniel Laden, Reed Mershon and Riley Longtain spearheaded the equipment drive. Read Essay>>
Check out our SWAG: Students Working to Act Green
By Rachel Escobedo and Brandon Fielder
A grandmother, a Spanish teacher and a local advocate for sustainable agriculture all led a group of five Global Studies sophomores to organize SWAG: Students Working to Act Green. Paul Books, Rachel Escobedo, Brandon Fielder, Nick Grubbs and Matthew Jones not only enjoyed the naturally grown food that they tasted in Costa Rica; they returned to Austin, and learned, from a trio of sustainable food advocates, what they can do to bring better-tasting, safer, and environmentally friendly food to their high school and the Austin community. Read Essay>>
About Austin High Student Showcase:
This project is a collaboration between Austin High School and Forefront Austin to cultivate voices of the next generation. On a regular basis, students will develop essays that present unique perspectives in response to one of Forefront Austin’s monthly questions. The students conduct independent research, interview community leaders and author essays for publication on Forefront Austin. The student-developed essays are edited by Forefront Austin staff.