Devoted Dreamers Leadership Development Series

The Devoted Dreamers Leadership Development Series — Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

The Devoted Dreamers Leadership Development Series has been a powerful example of what happens when young people are given space, guidance, and real responsibility to grow as leaders. In partnership with Saints linebacker Demario Davis, this series was designed to help students build essential leadership skills through hands-on learning, purposeful collaboration, and community-centered problem solving.

This year, the cohort focused on food insecurity—one of New Orleans’ most pressing challenges. Through workshops, team-based projects, and guided discussion, students explored not only the issue itself but also what it means to design a solution that serves their community with dignity and impact. The service project was planned in support of Clover, a local organization committed to meeting the needs of families across the city.

Throughout the series, students worked in teams that mirror real-world roles: logistics, marketing, event planning, and community partnerships. This structure allowed them to step into leadership positions, practice effective communication, and contribute their unique strengths to a larger collective goal. As they conducted research, mapped out strategies, built timelines, and planned outreach, they’ve learned how complex community issues can be addressed through thoughtful planning and teamwork.

A central focus of the series has been helping students understand that leadership is not a title—it’s a process. It’s learning how to collaborate, how to manage responsibilities, how to communicate clearly, and how to adapt when plans change. Through guided conversations and hands-on preparation, students have strengthened skills such as public speaking, project management, teamwork, and critical thinking.

The work they are doing today will culminate in a community food drive later this fall—but the lessons will carry forward long after. The Devoted Dreamers are learning what it means to step up, take initiative, and make a difference. And this is only the beginning. This program isn’t just teaching leadership. It’s cultivating leaders.