How I learned to be a leader by volunteering to organize the Scholastic Book Fair
The school cafeteria was packed with parents and excited children.
Party size pizzas were stacked on the tables and tiny cups of soda were handed out as we waited (we later learned that was not the best beverage choice for children at 6 PM on a school night) ??
It was my first meeting of the Parent and Teacher’s Association (PTA) at my son’s new school. The PTA president immediately listed activities that needed helpers:
And then finally: "We need someone to organize the Scholastic Book Fair."
I immediately raised my hand remembering fondly my days of visiting the fair as a child. I would spend what felt like hours combing through the shelves in search of my perfect book. In fact, the fair is where I discovered Judy Blume, C.S. Lewis and Sweet Valley High! I also believe the Scholastic Book Fair is why I became an author and award-winning screenwriter.
In the coming weeks, the PTA met to talk about the set up of the fair, how to distribute the flyers to families, and how to make sure every child received a book, even if they did not have money with them that day.
The fair opened, and the children had a wonderful time shopping and learning about new stories and authors.
When the fair ended a few days later, I felt a sense of accomplishment I had not felt before as a young mother ( I was only 24). Looking back on that time now I realized why: leading the planning of the book fair also prepared me to step into my role in the community as a leader.
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What I learned:
Working at a Scholastic book fair required lots of planning and coordination. We had to organize book displays, manage inventory, and ensure a smooth flow of tiny visitors (and many of these visitors have not yet learned how to stand in a line or how to keep their hands to themselves, so that adds to the excitement! ??)
2. Communication and Teamwork:
Leading a Scholastic book fair involved effective communication with busy parents, overworked teachers and excited children. I had to clearly explain my ideas, delegate tasks to the right people, and collaborate to create a positive experience for attendees.
3. Problem Solving and Decision Making:
This is huge! I remember one year one of our cases of books did not arrive on time. Of course, it was the case with all of the newest items, so the children were very disappointed! But, after working with the people at Scholastic, we were able to have the case shipped overnight, and all of the children were happy.
If you have the opportunity to volunteer at this capacity at your child or grandchild’s school, do it! Even if you think you don’t have time. You will learn a lot about where your child spends most of their time during the day, but you will also learn a lot about YOURSELF, and what you need in order to be an effective leader and independent contributor.
Let’s Get Sentered: in doing our part to build a stronger community.