High School Center Programs ⟶ Program Themes ⟶ Leadership for Social Justice

Leadership for Social Justice

The Leadership for Social Justice (LSJ) program is designed for students who want to stand up for what’s right, build essential leadership skills, and make a real impact in their schools and local communities. Through hands-on field trips, teamwork, and real-world projects, you’ll learn how to express your ideas, collaborate with others, and partner with local community leaders to solve meaningful challenges. Join LSJ to grow your public speaking, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities while preparing to become the change-maker your community needs!

Core Experiences

Connect with social justice advocates to learn community engagement strategies
Participate in career-connected learning with social justice organizations
Earn college credit through dual enrollment.
Design and implement a multi-year social justice project
Present the impact of original social justice projects on local communities

Program Goals

Develop Foundational Knowledge and Skills
Equip students with the knowledge and skills to become principled and effective leaders in public service.
Provide Hands-On, Real-World Experience
Provide hands-on, real-world experience through career-connected learning and applied projects to ensure students can translate leadership theory and community engagement strategies into effective public service action.
Foster Career and College, Career and/or Community Pathways
Create strong connections to college and career paths by linking students with a network of public service professionals to find great jobs, further their education, and stay involved in the community.

Application & Locations

Application: Interest-based application

Schools:

Southern Region: Whitman
Eastern Region: Paint Branch
Central Region: Wootton
Central North Region: Magruder
Northern Region: Damascus

Course Progression

Below is a sample sequence of courses for students enrolled in the Leadership for Social Justice Program. Courses in blue are related to the program. This is subject to change as the programs are developed.

Grade 9	Grade 10	Grade 11	Grade 12
Introduction to Social Justice (S1) and Leadership and Social Justice (S2)	Community Organizing and Social Justice (S1) and LSJ Elective	AP Seminar for LSJ	Career-Connected Learning with a Social Justice Advocacy Organization (S1) and LSJ Elective
Honors English 9 for LSJ	Honors English 10 for LSJ	Honors English 11 or AP Language and Composition	Honors English 12 or AP Literature and Composition
Honors or AP US History	AP US Government (NSL) for LSJ	Honors or AP World History	LSJ Electives
Science	Science	Science	Elective or Dual Enrollment
World Language	World Language	World Language or Elective	World Language or Elective
Math	Math	Math	Honors Statistics or AP Statistics
Elective (PE, Fine Art, Technology or Health)	Elective (PE, Fine Art, Technology or Health)	Elective (PE, Fine Art, Technology or Health)	Elective (PE, Fine Art, Technology or Health)

Program Requirements

In addition to MCPS requirements for graduation, students must complete the following to remain enrolled in the Leadership and Social Justice Center Program and earn the related certificate:

Core leadership coursework (3 credits)
- Introduction to Social Justice (0.5 credits)
- Leadership and Social Justice (0.5 credits)
- Community Organizing (0.5 credits)
- AP Seminar for Social Justice (1 credit)
- Career-connected learning with Social Justice Organization (0.5 credits)
English (2 credits, both count toward 4-credit requirement for graduation)
- Honors English 9 for LSJ
- Honors English 10 for LS
Statistics (1 credit)
- Honors or AP Statistics
LSJ Electives (2 credits)
- 2 credits of related coursework taken in any grade level
Non-coursework requirements
- Attend LSJ Program Seminars
- Facilitate at least 1 school-wide social justice event
- 3 non-classroom experiences related to social justice per year such as: