Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program

Since 1997, the Lazarus Fellows at B-CC High School have completed more than 80,000 hours of community service. In addition to volunteering at A Wider Circle, the 15 Lazarus Fellows each Spring work to restore a former Germantown farm as a living museum in pre-Civil War Montgomery County. They participate in a ropes course and visit the KID Museum, Glenstone Museum, Bethesda Urban Partnership, B-CC Rescue Squad, and the National Center for Children and Families. In the summer, each Lazarus Fellow carries out a 200-hour community service project that the Fellow designs. After a reflection session in early September, there is a graduation ceremony at the Strathmore Mansion. For questions, please contact Lazarus Founder Bruce Adams.

Wednesday, December 11 at 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. 2025 Orientation Session

Room F310

 

Application Deadline

Sunday January 5, 2025

The Program

Sophomores and juniors should receive a brochure explaining the Lazarus Leadership Fellow Program by early December each year.  Over the past 28 years, students from B-CC and other local high schools have devoted 80,000 hours to serving our community through the Lazarus program.  Led by former B-CC parent, Bruce Adams, the program allows students to learn hands-on leadership skills. The Lazarus program was honored by the B-CC High School Educational Foundation in 2010.  In 2011, Bruce received the Distinguished Service to Public Education Award from the Montgomery County Board of Education in recognition of 25 years of teaching leadership seminars to County high school students. 

The success of the past years proves that young people can make a difference in the lives of others. Program Founder, Bruce Adams, welcomes the new Fellows to the program by telling them: "I know that students can be tremendous leaders and can accomplish amazing things because I have seen it happen over and over again under the Lazarus program."  Every year at the graduation ceremony the Fellows speak of how surprised, proud, and pleased they are at what they have accomplished. All previous groups of Lazarus Fellows and their parents tell us it was a life-changing experience.

Five Lazarus alumni have been named winners of Bethesda Magazine’s prestigious Extraordinary Teens award since 2018: Vikram Akwei (Lazarus 2016) in 2018, Karina Vasudeva (Lazarus 2018) in 2020, JD Gorman (Lazarus 2019) in 2021, Sammer Hajhamad (Lazarus 2020) in 2021 and Obse Abebe (Lazarus 2021) in 2023.

During the spring, each Fellow designs a 200-hour community service program that he or she will implement over the summer. The program must be something that would not happen without the initiative of the student.  Students who complete the program may opt to receive either expenses of $750 or 200 hours of community service learning credit.  All students will receive $250 to cover meals, transportation, and supplies over the summer. 

Bruce Adams visits B-CC in early December each year for an informational meeting during the lunch break for students.  Applications are then available in the Counseling office and are due in January right after the winter break.

The principal funder of the program is The Julius and Dorothy Lazarus Foundation.  Additional sponsors include B-CC High School Educational Foundation, Bethesda Kiwanis Foundation, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Foundation, Floyd E. Davis Family Foundation, Lerch, Early, and Brewer Chtd., Carol and Nick Brand, and the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation.

Learn More About Lazarus

Click to Watch Lazarus 2021 Program Orientation

Watch a four minute video on the Lazarus experience produced by Travel Television. CLICK HERE

For additional information, please email Bruce Adams at bruce@greaterwash.org.

Bruce Adams, Founder