The Guardian Ambassadors Program, an outreach program working on welcoming and informing new freshmen, is being launched at Ida B. Wells High School this school year.
Run by senior Georgia Fleshner, the program selected a diverse group of students to step into freshmen English classes for presentations. “Our main goal is… giving them an extra hand during their first year at Wells,” says Fleshner.
From introducing freshmen to news and events at IBW, what classes and pathways are offered and advice on classes and finals, the Guardian Ambassadors Program is there to help.
The program includes 50 students from all over the school and various communities. More than half of the students participating are not associated with leadership, which brings in many new perspectives and ideas.
Between enjoying science to being interested in theatre, the freshmen will have an ambassador to look up to that has similar interests and traits as themselves.
“I think it’s really cool to have students, both in and out of leadership, be able to be representatives and kind of like peer mentors for our incoming freshmen,” says Abby Griffin, a freshman English and AP Language and Composition teacher at IBW.
The initial idea was fostered after Fleshner found her transition into high school somewhat challenging, as well as not being aware of certain classes or pathways. Now as a senior, she wants to uplift unsure freshmen to help make friends, feel welcome and updated at IBW.
Being the first year of its creation, the initial program took time and effort to form into what is being launched this fall. Fleshner hosted an ambassador training in the summer and long brainstorming sessions.
Working with so many different ambassadors, Fleshner is still “trying to make it as collaborative as I can.”
As well as in class presentations and open classrooms, Fleshner is also making sure that ambassadors attend volunteering opportunities. From “Back to School Night” to the eighth-grade visits, the ambassadors will be role models for IBW.
Fleshner is also looking for a junior or sophomore to have under her wing. She is keeping an eye out for those who are putting in the extra work and who might be up for the challenge of mantling the program in the years to come. “You don’t really have a successful program if it can’t carry on after you leave,” says Fleshner.
The ambassadors present slideshows and answer questions that freshmen might have. Having open classrooms for freshmen to drop by and chat with an ambassador is a future goal for the program.
Freshman Elena Guchereau sees the ambassadors as courageous, “to come in and present and be available even with their own responsibilities.”
Each freshmen English class is assigned three ambassadors who will visit the class every quarter. By sending in the same ambassadors, the freshmen students will be able to find a familiar face and feel comfortable around their specific ambassador.
Guchereau said that having similarities with the ambassadors was comforting. “It’s really hard to speak up to an adult… but if you’re talking to another teen, another person that’s been through the same experiences you have…that’s really impactful,” says Guchereau.
While Guchereau found the presentation helpful, she might not reach out to the ambassadors unless it’s her last resource. “I will rely on the Guardian Ambassadors if I really need to,” she says.
Griffin viewed the ambassadors program as consistent and prepared. Most of the freshmen were a bit shy and timid to the initial presentations, but are now aware of the positive resource it offers. “[The program] opens the door [to IBW] in a different way,” says Griffin.
Guchereau said that half of the class seemed interested in the presentation, while the other half wasn’t. She said that it will possibly change as the year goes on “once they realize how impactful it can be for them.”
Griffin hopes to see the program’s impact in her freshmen classes.
“It’s empowering to see students teaching and taking leadership roles,” said Griffin. Upperclassmen helping the freshmen can be “[a] good role model [and] motivating behavior.”
