About a month ago I had the privilege of flying to Olathe, Kansas (OK, so geographically I flew to Kansas City, Missouri and then drove to Olathe, Kansas) to be the guest speaker at the chartering ceremony and subsequent first student inductions into the Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society Chapter at Olathe West High School. Arriving in the early afternoon afforded me an opportunity to not only see the sites (the Mahaffie Stagecoach & Farm Museum was an incredible site packed with information about the only working stagecoach stop left on the Santa Fe Trail), but learn some about the community supporting the Olathe West Owls.  

As I drove by both Washington Elementary School and Santa Fe Trail Middle School at the end of their school day, I watched as small groups of 3-4 parents each shepherded 20 or so children towards their neighborhoods. In this era of child predators, it was heartwarming to see such dedicated and thoughtful parent volunteers taking care of the children from their community. As the seemingly endless stream of parents and children walked down the sidewalks, the historical story of this “caravan” started to flood my brain: the images of the westward journey of immigrants past: immediate family and relatives, friends, or people from the same area walking with their wagon company towards their new life in parts unknown. In towns such as Olathe, they settled in close proximity to each other, starting the strong community ties that have endured the test of time.

At the ceremony that evening, I returned to the remarks made at the Annual Conference President’s Breakfast as I addressed the inductees and their parents, speaking of what it means to be a productive member of society and how it is vital for schools to prepare students for a lifetime of knowledgeable, engaged, and active citizenship. Current research shows that students who leave high school with civic competencies achieved through high quality civic learning practices are equipped to address complex challenges, work and study with diverse colleagues, and creatively solve problems that do not have easy solutions. They are also more likely to vote and discuss politics at home, to volunteer and work on community issues, and are more confident in their ability to speak publicly and communicate with their elected representatives. Schools with civic learning programs are more likely to be safe, inclusive, and respectful, and in addition, experience fewer high school dropouts. Rho Kappa fits into this definition by representing the concept of knowledge through service, while recognizing those students who have achieved academic excellence in history.  Successful Rho Kappa chapters provide a venue for students to perform meaningful work for their school and the surrounding community. “It will be through your efforts that this chapter will grow and rise to greatness as I know it will. It will be up to you to determine the needs of your school, community, state, and even your slice of the global society and act on them”.  

I found a new community to belong to that evening: a community that was very warm and welcoming to someone rather far from home. The Olathe West Owls showed me that you can click your heels three times and feel as though you are home, and I thank you for that. I will never forget my evening with these young people, their parents, and their faculty.