The Chamber’s Eastern Shore Youth Leadership Program invites young people to explore the community, broaden talents, interact with peers and discover what makes someone a leader. Through the seven-month program, high school students develop leadership skills and broaden talents.
The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program accepts applications for 40 students, grades 10th through 12th from Fairhope and Daphne High Schools and Bayside Academy selected to participate in the seven-month program.
The students are chosen for their desire to learn about the community and their interest in becoming leaders. The program, which was developed by the chamber’s Education/Workforce Development Committee, is sanctioned by the school administrations and is virtually an extension of the classroom.
The students will work on a wide variety of projects that are developed to help them learn leadership skills and broaden their individual talents. Included are seminars, workshops and activities that integrate involvement in civic and business issues with life skills that empower them as leaders.
Carolyn Walthall, coordinator of the youth leadership program, describes the program as fun, interesting, interactive, hands-on, and much more.
“It’s different from any other experience offered to students,” she said. “The youth get an opportunity to interact with adults in the Eastern Shore area and with students from other schools. They see up close what adults do in their jobs and what they do for their communities.”
She said the students have an opportunity to identify needs and concerns in their community. They then create a Plan of Action to address the needs and implement it, using the knowledge and
skills they gained during the program activities.
Once the students have completed the seven-month program, the chamber holds a graduation ceremony and the students receive an official certificate of completion.
The Eastern Shore Chamber Youth Leadership program is currently funded through special donations and grants obtained by the Eastern Shore Chamber Foundation, a 501C(3) entity.
For more information call the Eastern Shore Chamber at 621-8222. The deadline to apply for the program is May 1.
For more information about the program, click here  .
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