The LYCEUM CHALLENGE 2010 

Dear LYCEUM Challenge Friends,

We are so excited about the upcoming challenge and sincerely thank you for believing in the vision and helping us define goals for the LYCEUM Challenge.  We hope to roll out LYCEUM nationally next year and are confident that the impact of influence on students participating will be significantly increased as a result of your feedback and input.   Again…our sincere thanks!

The topic we will be discussing this year is POVERTY.   We are in partnership with the following ministries:                            

Hope International
Ichthus Ministries
Kingdom School Institute

We have divided the year into two semesters.   Fall semester students will be reading, dialoguing and gathering information concerning poverty and the Christians’ response to it.    Students will define what the word means to them and will decide/determine what their responsibility as a Christian is according to God’s Word.    Spring semester students will be asked to design a creative response to poverty.  Students will also be asked to create one of nine communication pieces:

Print:     poem, lyrics, opinion editorial
Verbal:  monologue – radio PSA – skit
Visual:    digital photograph – short video – graphic poster

Beginning this week, you will receive lesson plans for the first semester (15 total).  Please know that you are in full control of how you present The LYCEUM Challenge to your students.  If you choose to participate fully in the program, we will be supplying support materials each step of the way.  

Even though this project is primarily designed for a student leadership program (Student Leadership Institute), we have different student groups participating this year as well as a few more opportunities we’d love to have filled:

1. HS Bible class (presenting LYCEUM challenge every Friday as a practical application component of the class)
2. Small Group Mentoring  (If you have 5 high school students who are ready to step up, dig deep and think outside of the box….then gather them together and disciple them on what it means to serve in Jesus’ name.)
3. HS Sunday School Class (A teacher is thinking about covering LYCEUM for the school year as an experiment in “hands-on” living in the image of Christ. )
4. SGA (I love to encourage schools to train their students leaders in student government to be world changers, not just event planners; homecoming and prom)
5. Homeschool (One group is a classical home school and they are weaving LYCEUM into their rhetoric learning.  Another is a home school small group in KY.)
6. Service Club (A group of students meeting after school with one thought in mind…learning to serve instinctively.  These students will lead the charge in their school – a call to serve.)
7. SLi (This is a designated student leadership program developed for Kingdom Schools.)
   Student Leadership Website

Fall Session

You will be given 15 lesson overviews for a 50 minute student session.    Students will be asked to read articles and essays dealing with poverty through several filters:  government/law, media/entertainment, business/faith-based initiatives, and religion/faith.    Students will engage in and lead discussion based on the information presented.   In October, students will be asked to conduct a prepared survey so they will have a better understanding of how those around them view poverty.     Finally, students will be given opportunity to dialogue online with expert mentors in the above market place filters.    Part of what we are hoping to discover is how to best use social networking to unite high school students in a higher calling…one of service.

Again, as you receive the information, you are encouraged to modify and expand as is appropriate for you and your student group.    And please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or ideas. 

We are gathering support materials for those schools participating so please respond to this email and let me know if you still desire to be a part of LYCEUM this year.  There is no cost for participating and all materials will be provided free of charge.   Also, so that we can document this year with your students, we are seeking donations to provide those of you willing to do video journaling, FLIP video cameras.

The next step will be registering your students and receiving the September packet of information.   You will receive information once you register your students.  Eventually all of your information will be available on the LYCEUM website.  Until the website is up and running, all information will be sent directly to the advisor's registered email address.

Blessings and deep, deep gratitude for joining us on this learning adventure!

Because of Him!

Deni Corbett, Director
The LYCEUM Challenge
LyceumChallenge@gmail.com