GREEN RIVER — This summer, Kaiden Francis and Brookelyn Phillips from Monroe Elementary School, will join outstanding elementary school students from across the state to take part in a unique academic and career oriented development experience, the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Pathways to STEM, taking place in Denver this July.
NYLF Pathways to STEM is one of the Envision by WorldStrides family of programs that enable students to explore their interests and experience learning beyond the classroom.
Phillips was nominated to attend the forum by Mr. Wisniewski at Monroe Elementary. Phillips is a talented, driven and motivated young lady. She is the oldest of four children. Phillips not only demonstrates compassion and understanding, but she excels academically as well. She has represented her classmates through her leadership role as Student Council Representative for three years while in elementary school.
In 2019, Phillips received first place in the Wyoming State Young Author’s competition with her nonfiction story. She was also part of a Girl Scouts Troop project where she raised money for ADA equipment that was put into a local park for children with special needs.
In addition to her academic successes, Phillips is also passionate about sports. She is a member of several local traveling teams, which include soccer, softball, basketball, and volleyball. She is also a member of the Wyoming 307 Select Soccer Program. She has won two Wyoming state championships in soccer and one in softball, as well as winning many other tournament championships throughout Colorado, Utah and other local tournaments in these sports.
She currently dreams of pursuing engineering and interior designing.
“I am excited for this experience and cannot wait to make new friends. I love STEM and science, and I love building things. It’s one of my favorite things to do. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and it will be awesome to dive deeper into some of my interests,” Phillips said.
“I am so excited to learn more at the National Youth Program and to do many hands on activities. I have
worked very hard for an opportunity like this, by doing my absolute best in school and also outside of school,” Francis said. “I hope to make new friends that have some of the same interests as me. I am most excited to learn the first aid portion of the program so I can use it in real life- not many kids get to learn cool stuff that they can use to help others too.”
“Thank you Mr. W. for nominating me, it means a lot to me and I’m excited to bring my new skills back to share with everyone,” Francis said.
Without hesitation, Francis’ ambition quickly kicked in and he brainstormed ways to earn the money himself to pay for the cost of the program. Francis completed a fundraiser as well as helped many community members around his home town to earn the remaining cost. The ambition this boy has is inspiring to everyone around him, not only academically but in all aspects of his life.
When Francis isn’t out on the soccer field, he is more than likely out fishing, building a fort in the mountains, or filling his brain with the most random, yet valuable facts.
“As an alumna of Envision myself, I am excited for both Kaiden Francis and Brookelyn Phillips to meet, work, and collaborate with fellow high-aspiring students from other cities and schools,” said Amanda Freitag Thomas, SVP for Envision. “Hands down, my favorite part of attending an Envision program was being with motivated students in an environment designed to help us challenge our assumptions, meet new people, and grow.
“Creating that same learning environment is a central focus for all of our programs. At NYLF Pathways to STEM, students build the confidence and skills needed to excel in the classroom while gaining exposure to STEM fields and concepts,” Thomas said. “They learn how to adapt to and communicate in new situations, to new challenges, and with new people, which, given how rapidly the world is changing due to technology and innovation, are essential skills for success.”
About Envision
For over 35 years, Envision by WorldStrides has empowered extraordinary students to become their best selves through programs that enable them to discover their passion, explore a career, and positively impact their world.
In 2018, Envision became part of the WorldStrides family. The largest provider of educational travel and experiences in the United States, WorldStrides works with over 50,000 educators each year to help more than 550,000 students see the world—and themselves—in new ways.