GTA8: Manifest the Change

Manifest the Change is the final culmination of "Be the Change" in 7th grade and "Imagine the Change" in 6th grade. After PERSONALLY and INDIVIDUALLY investigating and targeting areas of interest, concern, and passion, GTA8 students will be allowed to self-select groups with other students with similar concerns and passions for making the world a better place. Then, GTA8 Teachers will lead groups through a year long process of developing and carrying out a community action plan based on students' ideas of how they might address their concerns in our local community.

GTA8 students will meet in the room of the teacher to which they've been assigned when school begins (see below). In the morning, GTA8 teachers will roll out the overall plan to students and lead them in individually researching and investigating possible areas of concern and possible ideas for how to address those concerns. In the afternoon, students will form their self-selected teams and have time to brainstorm and BEGIN TO FORMULATE their community action plans. Teachers will review, give feedback, and approve their initial ideas. Throughout the day there will be checkpoints and submissions in Schoology to chart students' progress.

After Friday, students will enter into a month and a half of research with their groups to fully flesh out their ideas. After this, they will formalize their action plan, carry it out, document it, and--in April of 2027--present it to a real audience. Below is a flow chart showing an overview of the Manifest the Change real-world learning challenge. This challenge will blend ALL subject areas as they are applicable in the discussion, planning, formulating, figuring, writing, development, and realization of students' community action plans.

Although there will be aspects that will be completed or worked on at home--especially by students who truly tap into a real passion or calling, GTA8 students will have work time at school to develop, research, write, revise, reiterate, realize, and reflect on their Manifest the Change action plans. It is the GTA8 Team's goal to control and minimize the amount of time required outside of school for this initiative. It is also their goal to culminate GTA8 students' middle school careers with a capstone project of depth and significance!

WEEKLY TIME DURING ADVISORY PERIOD

On at least 2 days a week, students will flex out of their regularly scheduled advisory teachers/locations to meet with their self-selected Manifest the Change teams to work on their action plans together.

SCHEDULED ON-CAMPUS FIELD EXPERIENCE Manifest the Change DAYS

Friday, September 18, 2026 > 8:50am-4:10pm

Friday, January 15, 2027 > 8:50am-4:10pm

Note: An additional on-campus work day might be added as the GTA8 Team monitors and evaluates students' progress.

The Manifest the Change SHOWCASE is currently scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2027.

If we are doing this right, students will feel some UNCERTAINTY at times during this process outlined above. This means REAL THINKING is happening. The uncomfortable spaces and places that are encountered when PROBLEM SOLVING and BEING CREATIVE are the birth places of INSPIRATION!

The GTA8 Team plans to use students' Manifest the Change action plans as ADVANCED PRODUCTS fulfilling the Texas Performance Standards Project requirement for all GT-identified students in FBISD.

We are looking to help our students make CONNECTIONS to PEOPLE, PLACES, and RESOURCES that might lend themselves to their various outreach initiatives inspired by their personal interests and the conversations and research they have on the planning day and when they meet during advisory periods. To that end, YOU might be such a CONNECTION, or you might KNOW SOMEONE who could be such a connection, or you might now of AN INSTITUTION or PROGRAM that might be such a connection, or you might have access to RESOURCES to facilitate or build such connections. Or...???

The PARAMETERS of these connections are completely open. A name. A phone number. An idea. A single visit to talk to students. A repeating involvement. An address. A delivery of resources. A website. A flyer...ANYTHING that MIGHT be helpful or useful, even if you're not sure that it will be.

If you can LEND ANY KIND OF SUPPORT, please email Mr. Bernhart and Ms. Morales and tell us about it. You never know what might be the one idea or connection that INSPIRES a brilliant innovation or life-changing idea. THANK YOU!

joseph.bernhart@fortbendisd.gov

jeanette.morales@fortbendisd.gov

GTA6 = Imagine the Change

GTA7 = Be the Change

GTA8 = Manifest the Change

All the GTA Team Leads--Mr. Connolly, GTA6; Ms. Lee, GTA7; Ms. Morales, GTA8--helped formulate this progression. Last year GTA8 Teachers worked to roll out the plan you see outlined above for the first time. This year, we are excited to teach, grow, and learn together with you and with our students as we further develop this initiative.

As an extension of GTA6 students learning about the refugee experience, GTA6 students will participate in a community service project to benefit refugee families living in Houston, TX.

From now through October 28th, students and their families are invited to donate by choosing from the list of products featured on our SignUp Genius (see link below).

Our donation drive will culminate with an on-campus packing event scheduled for Monday, November 2nd wherein students will create greeting cards and assemble hygiene baskets that will be donated to Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston (IMGH)—one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the city. You can learn more about IMGH at the link provided below.

The plan is as follows:
1. Please donate by signing up at the link below.
2. Bring donations to Mr. Bernhart’s office, Room 327, between September 14th and October 28th. If Mr. Bernhart’s office is closed, students should bring donations to their advisory teacher’s room.
3. Baskets will be assembled Monday, November 2nd and delivered to IMGH with the help of parent volunteers.

Hosted by Doreen Lee, GTA7 Team Leader and QVMS COGS (Champion of Gifted Services), this will be a meeting providing an overview how GT services are provided in FBISD. All parents of GT-identified students are encouraged to attend.

Joseph Bernhart

Academy Coordinator

Gifted and Talented Academy

Quail Valley Middle School

joseph.bernhart@fortbendisd.gov

(281) 634-6687