What is the Youth Leadership Program?

The youth program is designed to enhance leadership skills and awareness of the need for community service, civic participation, and philanthropy in high school students in the 11th or 12th grades.

Don’t programs already exist?

There are groups working with youth, but there are no comprehensive skill-building programs such as this one that will bring together a diverse group of students.

What will the Program include?

The program days will be held Monday – Thursday the week of August 6 & the week of August 13, 2007.

The students will work with trained facilitators for a skill-based, experienced-learning program to develop their leadership. The curriculum will ensure a strong foundation by initially concentrating on self-development and awareness, and then building over time to include the larger community and requisite social skills

What are the benefits of the Youth Leadership Arlington Program?

At the end of their program year the students will have:

Enhanced leadership skills
Increased Awareness of the value of civic participation
Familiarity with area in Arlington beyond each student’s immediate neighborhood and school

The benefit in the long term for society is the students will know how to assume a leadership role as a young adult.

How will the students learn of the program?

Leadership Arlington adult members are committed to a broad outreach to every segment of the County. We will distribute information for all students and their parents through selected school teachers and guidance counselors, presentations at school events and PTA meetings, as well as general notices in newspapers. We will publicize the program's availability through community associations, churches, and social services to ensure a wide diversity of participants.

How will the students be selected?

The selection committee, made up of Leadership Arlington members, will strive to choose applicants who represent a cross-section of students who either live or attend school in Arlington. Students apply by filling out an application, with references from the school and community. Students must be able to articulate:

Why they want to participate
What value they believe they can contribute to the program
How they have been influenced by the leadership skills or style of another

Students must apply through typed applications.

How is the program funded?

Leadership Arlington members are committed to raising the funds necessary for students to participate. We have received generous support from Freddie Mac and the Washington Post. Individual members have offered to support a student during the program. We will hold a fundraising auction in March and are seeking additional sponsoring companies to contribute through in-kind donations or scholarships.

While local businesses, foundations, and individuals fund the major portion of program expenses, a nominal student tuition fee for the program is set at $250. However, financial assistance is available, and no student accepted into the program will be turned away for financial reasons. To apply for a scholarship, enclose a letter of request with the application. Upon notification of acceptance into the program, the tuition fee must be paid upon acceptance to the program.

About Leadership Arlington...

Leadership Arlington's mission is to enlighten, inspire and connect leaders to strengthen the Arlington community. Leadership Arlington is designed to foster a sense of community, partnership, and collaboration that will motivate participants to become involved in Arlington's future. The program creates an infrastructure that will insure an ongoing source of trained leaders in our community by focusing on the application of leadership skills in a unique environment.

For more information:

Please contact Erika Mendez, Youth Program Director, Leadership Arlington, (703) 528-2522
ext. 15 or email: emendez@leadershiparlington.org