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Youth Leadership Academy Program
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Program
Cadets of the Youth Leadership Academy are recruited in the sixth grade. Following an application and selection process, a formal agreement is entered into with the cadet's family. Cadets are required to remain drug free, gang free and academically inclined throughout their tenure in the program. Beginning in the seventh grade and continuing through graduation from high school, the Board of Directors of the Youth Leadership Academy is committed to providing each cadet with the following:
College Matriculation and Tuition Each student who successfully completes the Youth Leadership Academy program, and graduates from a District 509 high school, will be guaranteed two free years of tuition at Elgin Community College. Judson University—will provide a two year tuition scholarship to any cadet that graduates from ECC with an Associates Degree and an acceptable GPA. College Preparatory Experiences Beginning in the seventh grade and continuing through graduation from high school, the academy will provide each student with college preparatory experiences consisting of academics, personal development, cultural awareness, music, art, theater, and computer technology training. Access to Technology Access to technology will become increasingly essential for the development of leadership skills in the 21st century. The Academy will provide computer training and access to computer labs for cadets to develop these skills. Service Projects The student will reinforce knowledge and leadership skills gained in the classroom through practical, community oriented projects. As leaders, they, in turn, will serve as role models to subsequent generations of youth in similar circumstances. YLA Plus is an exciting after YLA voluntary program designed to encourage and promote individual cadets into becoming their own project leaders. Cadets get to choose their own project which must be a challenging endeavor and must have a meaningful impact. Participants include all grade levels, and meet directly after the regular YLA sessions.Family Advocacy
The staff will work with the family to foster environments supportive of the cadets' successes through programs and services, and provide joint participation in selected Youth Leadership Academy experiences. The staff will provide assistance and referrals to the family of other educational programs and services within the community. Counseling Each cadet will be provided with counseling to address any concerns and problems that the cadet may have which would hinder successful completion of the YLA program. Entrepreneurship Training The eighth grade class of YLA produces a line of greeting cards, Thank You and Kudos cards. Our motto” Teaching Graciousness, Valuing Accomplishments. The cadets design, market, and sell their product, which allows the students to experience entrepreneurial training first hand to become a successful business owner. Evaluation and Assessment The Youth Leadership Academy will develop success indicators, including a student self-evaluation, that will allow the board of directors to measure the success of individual cadets and the program as a whole. |
