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Young challenges high-schoolers to pay gratitude forward

November 23, 2011|By Jonathan Kleppinger | jkleppinger@jessaminejournal.com

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Jessamine schools superintendent Lu Young had planned to deliver a “safe, traditional” Thanksgiving speech when she visited the county’s high schools this week. But as the time drew nearer, she decided she needed to urge action instead of just feelings.

“Over the weekend, I kept thinking, there are so many wonderful things that teenagers can get involved in in terms of character development and service, so I just challenged them to do something,” Young said Tuesday.

Young visited East Jessamine High on Monday and West Jessamine High on Tuesday to congratulate the students on the annual FFA food drive. She brought 1,000 “thankfulness revolution” postcards with her to each school.

“I want to throw out a challenge to you today, a bold and perhaps risky challenge for some of you — let’s start a thankfulness revolution,” Young told the students. “What might that look like? First, it starts simply by saying thank you or writing a thank-you note.”

One hundred of the cards at each school were addressed to school staff members; 50 were addressed to bus drivers.

“I just said, even if they’re not your bus driver, pick up a card and thank them for being an unsung hero,” Young said.

The superintendent asked students at each school to address another 100 cards to former teachers still working in the county.

Destinations for the rest of the cards were up to the students, Young said, whether they chose to thank members of the military, local law-enforcement officers or family and friends.

Young said she hoped classes would be creative with the concept and that gratitude would spread from the high-schoolers out to the community.

“That would be a nice thing for teenagers to be known for today instead of some of the negative attention they get,” she said.

Thankfulness is part of the curriculum for Jessamine County students, Young said.

“We talk a lot about college and career readiness, but I think one of our ultimate goals in P-12 education is to get them life ready,” she said. “Developing good character and being grateful people, I think, is part of that journey.”

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