Program Overview
Mission:
To provide an overview of Anderson County that shows a broad perspective of the community, while developing the leadership and communications skills of participants.
Goals:
- Present in-depth programs that acquaint participants with community needs, opportunities, problems, resources, and infrastructure.
- Encourage understanding and acceptance of civic responsibilities and leadership roles.
- Encourage student participants to share their YLAC experiences with schoolmates.
- Foster leadership skills and to teach youth of about the community in which they live.
- Encourage students to become more involved and remain or return to Anderson County following their education.
- Familiarize the students with leadership roles available to them and to assist in assuming leadership roles.
- Reduce achievement gap for marginal students.
- Increase volunteerism and community involvement.
Participants:
30 high school juniors and seniors attending Clinton and Anderson County High Schools as well as private schools and home school students.
Program Commitment:
The program requires students to enroll in the "Leadership Skills Training" Class for one semester. The program will require students to attend sessions outside the classroom *one day per month during the school year. Session hours are 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
*A field trip to the State Capitol in Nashville.
Selection Process and Criteria
A selection committee, affiliated with Youth Leadership Anderson County Board of Directors, and the Anderson Chamber of Commerce, will review applications and select participants. Participants will be selected through responses to the application questionnaire. The selected candidates will be notified (by mail) of acceptance into the program.
Funding
- ***Participants will be charged a $50 fee to insure their commitment to the program. Scholarships granted by written request and signed by the parent to the Anderson County Chamber. All requests will be kept confidential.
- Business and organization sponsors: Individual and Corporate Sponsors will provide the needed funds for each scheduled activity during the year.
***Participants should have a monetary commitment to the program as well as a personal commitment.
Participant Qualifications:
- Applicants must be in academic standing and have no attendance or disciplinary problems in school.
- Students with good character who exhibit a potential for leadership and interest in the growth and improvement of our community are encouraged to apply.
- School counselors, teachers, principals and parents must approve all applications prior to submittal to the selection committee.
- Applications must be submitted by established deadline.
How to Apply:
- Public school students obtain applications from school counselors at each high school. Applications must be submitted to School Counselor.
- Home school students may obtain applications from the Chamber of Commerce office. or the Anderson County Home School Association President.
- Applications must be submitted to Chamber of Commerce “Youth Leadership Anderson County” Coordinator.
Program Dates:
- Applications due: May 1, 2010
- Program begins August and concludes in May.
- The first session (orientation) will occur in August during school hours.
- There are nine monthly sessions beginning in August, and ending in April.
- The last sessions (graduation) will be held in May during the evening hours after school.
For a Youth Leadership Anderson County Program Schedule, please click here.
(Adobe® PDF document, File Size is approximately 62 kilobytes)
Advisory Board – Board of Directors
- The Youth Leadership Anderson County Project is controlled by a board of directors consisting of one representative from the Leadership Anderson County Board.
- Board membership consists of 11 former Leadership alumni and two alumni from the Youth Leadership Anderson County each year.
- The board will serve in two and three year terms. Each member will serve on a rotation as Board member at large, Board Chair Elect, Board Chair and Past Board Chair.
- The Youth Leadership Board will meet once a month. Meetings will be open to sponsors, parents of participants and past and present Leadership participants in Adult and Future Leadership alumni.
Individual and Corporate Sponsors will provide the needed funds for each scheduled activity during the year.
Sponsors will receive recognition in following ways:
- All media coverage - area newspapers - local radio, etc.
- Youth Leadership publications and activities (Organization w/logo)
- Brochures and Applications
- Monthly Schedule
- Enrollment Activities
- Graduation Ceremony
- Chamber Communications
- Articles in The Chamber News (distributed in 5,500 copies of The Courier News)
- Chamber website calendar of events
- Chamber Electronic Calendar of Events
