Eighth-graders from Bala Cynwyd Middle School recently made the short trip “next door” to visit some of their third-grade neighbors at Cynwyd for a collaborative activity as part of their coursework on leadership.

The elder Knights took the Owls under their wings during a special team-building project that challenged the middle schoolers to integrate the leadership skills they have been learning about in class while working on a project with their younger counterparts.

After breaking up into small groups, the respective teams were each given a bucket of LEGOs and were tasked with building the best LEGO-house they possibly could in a short period of time. When time was up, the groups then voted on which LEGO-house they thought was best, before engaging in another round of LEGO-building competition.

The activity was without a doubt a resounding success as the eighth graders not only had the unique opportunity to put their new leadership skills to the test, but also got to have some fun with their Cynwyd buddies!

Throughout the year, students taking the leadership class have the opportunity to explore their strengths in both individual and team capacities, research habits of mind that contribute to success and work to develop cultural competencies that ultimately will allow them to use their leadership skills in service to others and the community-at-large.