Bethesda Week Two – Personal Contributions
As a Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) intern at Bethesda Academy, I work under the supervision of Colonel Vaughn to develop the curriculum that will equip the students to become spiritually grounded, servant-leaders of high character. Specifically, I work within the parameters of the LDI scope, a document that outlines each aspect of the curriculum, which is divided into two modules, six lessons, and thirty-six sessions. The modules are based on Bethesda core values and Bethesda code of conduct, and each contain three lessons. So far, I have only worked with module one’s lessons which are the three aspects of the school’s mission: love of God, love of learning, and strong work ethic. My primary responsibility is to create 50-minutes of content for each session with a corresponding 30-minute follow-up lesson centered around a “Hero”, a person that embodies the session topic. To date, I have developed the following three sessions: servanthood, joy of living, and open-mindedness.
One specific example of how my insight has contributed to the work can be seen in the session on joy of living. Each session requires a dictionary definition and bible verse to guide the content of the session. The definition of joy is straightforward (“a feeling of great pleasure of happiness”), but there is a seemingly endless amount of bible verses for the same topic. After reviewing several options, I decided to go with Psalms 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your righthand are pleasures forevermore.” I believed the explicit connection between the definition and bible verse (i.e., use of word “pleasure”) would help conceptualize joy more clearly for teenagers and also offer direction with the session that aligns with Bethesda’s mission of fostering a love a God. With the rest of the session, I made a distinction between joy and happiness, and then outlined ways that the students can access the divine gift of joy at any time. In this lesson and others, my faith, passion for curriculum development, leadership studies background, and closeness in age to high schoolers helps guide my decisions for content that will truly impact the students.
Another example was my selection of action star, Keanu Reeves, as the hero for the session on servanthood. I wanted to select a pop culture figure that the students have seen on screen (i.e., Matrix trilogy, John Wick series), but could learn more about. Keanu Reeves has dedicated much of his life to giving to those around him and even has his own cancer foundation. I selected videos that show Reeves as well-rounded individual that is living a life of service, because these students need role models to inspire them. If they are aware of his success beforehand and then are taught this session, it allows them to make connections to scripture and Bethesda values. Not only will this help shape their view of the Reeves, but offer an example of what servanthood realistically looks like.
