A new initiative started by the Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) was presented at its monthly meeting Thursday night.

VWSD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cedric Magee utilized a PowerPoint presentation to outline the finer points of the Portrait of a Graduate program.

The program is designed to expand on the principles taught in The Leader in Me curriculum.

Magee explained that while The Leader in Me teaches good life habits, Portrait of a Graduate focuses on additional skills needed to enter the workforce after high school. According to The Leader in Me website, the program “is a comprehensive PK-12 framework that nurtures student leadership, fosters a culture of trust and boosts academic success.”

“The Leader in me is going to teach our students how to be proactive, to begin with the end in mind, all the way down to sharpen the saw,” Magee said. “That is the foundation and our other programs point to that. When we were developing the Portrait of a Graduate, we asked community members to be a part of that process. From communities of faith to our business leaders, our district leaders, our school leaders, families, educators, even students. Everyone  had a stake in our process.”

Magee explained the process encompassed four meetings.

“In meeting one, the question was asked, ‘what are the hopes, dreams and aspirations that our community will have for every student?’” he said.

Magee said learning styles have changed in the 21st Century.

He spoke of “landscape shifts,” and how that sizes up the categories of workforce, global, pace of change, science of learning and social intelligence.

By the third meeting, four competencies were identified, Magee said.

The four areas of focus announced were adaptability, communication, responsibility and critical thinking.

“We want to drill down all the way from Pre-K to twelfth grade,” he said. “How does adaptability look to a Pre-K student? How does it look to a middle school student? How does it look to a high school student? How does communication look to a Pre-K student? In communication, we’re talking about speaking and writing.”  

Magee emphasized fiscal responsibility will also be taught.

“Our Portrait of a Graduate will be our north star. Leader in Me is going to teach those soft skills — how to be proactive, how to take care of yourself. But then, Portrait of a Graduate teaches adaptability, communication, responsibility, and critical thinking. We want all of that to be incorporated into our education system in Warren County and we did that along with our community members as well.”