Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

What does a leader need to do? This thought races through my mind as four classmates stare at me, awaiting my command. I stand nervously by the rain barrel with the blueprints, and, looking at the school's gutter, survey the scarcity of tools.
"Alex, do you want me to get tools from my house?"
I've prepared for this for almost a year: all the paperwork and emails and fundraising. The countless hours poured into that blueprint finally come to fruition just so the school could capture fifty gallons of water (along with my sweat and toil). People in Southern California have had a long battle with drought for years and this attempt marks our first step to adaption.
The other boys quickly delegated the tasks. Some went to get tools, others measured out the dimensions of the school infrastructure. When we had everything we needed, the real work began: the sawing, the cutting, the drilling, the screwing. No one complained; everyone worked optimistically on their tasks. They were just as excited as I to get this project done and they all ensured the project's success. When the rain barrel finally saddled the new downspout, they stood there watching and appreciating their work.
The "Rain Barrel Pilot Project" succeeded tremendously. It captured the first rain of the season with a full fifty gallons of water. The water now irrigates a very small portion of the school lawn, and the rain barrel continues to capture more rain. Soon, we'll install a couple more across campus.
There it goes: my attempt at equipping a sixty-year-old high school for the twenty-first century. This year, we'll consolidate the school's recycling bins and draft up a new farm-to-table initiative with the agriculture department. But I know it's more than sustainability, our ambitious goals to save the little water we have, or our members' private love of nature. It's about bringing pride back to the school, rekindling a sense of student achievement, responsibility, and spirit, all while designing a better tomorrow.