Laughter and conversation fill the Great Room as students draw campaign posters for city-wide animal adoption days.
On Nov. 2, 2023, TISD’s student Lighthouse members met at the Texarkana College Student Center for the Leader In Me Synergy Summit. This gathering encouraged students from different campuses to collaborate to plan their upcoming projects.
“This is just a great event. It’s a celebration of student leadership,” Superintendent Dr. Doug Brubaker said. “It’s also an opportunity for kids across the district to synergize by combining their talents, energies and interests to help figure out ways we can make the community a better place.”
One of many ways they will attempt to do this is by hosting a $10,000 fundraiser in which the proceeds will go toward expanding a local animal holding facility. Both the adults and students involved believe that the vast number of stray animals creates a world of issues within the Texarkana area. By enhancing the shelters and facilities they hope to resolve this community conflict.
“Honestly, it creates other problems, such as the diseases that these stray animals may carry,” Lighthouse Coordinator Britni Huggins said. “With this initiative, we will have the resources that it takes, not only financially, but also spaces, toys and vaccines to combat these problems. I have high hopes that this fundraising goal will be met; however, it does depend a lot on the community members and whether or not they wish to participate. Our students have created multiple opportunities for the community to come through.”
Students from Texas High School collaborated with younger students of the district on another project: their student-led art contest. These posters will raise awareness for their upcoming adoption days where residents are encouraged to take in a new animal.
“I feel like it will bring light to the endangered animals and help us create spaces and shelters for them,” sophomore Angel Venable said. “Bringing this topic to younger audiences is a great idea because a lot of children will motivate their parents and relatives to adopt a new pet.”
This assembly is considered significant to many, not only because of the unity within the Lighthouse organization but also due to the amount of student-oriented work involved in the creation of these projects.
“It took a lot of work,” Huggins said. “These kids have met at least once every six weeks since the beginning of last school year, and it’s probably taken no less than 100 hours of combined work from 30+ kids.”
