Youth Leadership Highlands

Youth Leadership Highlands Update

Youth Leadership Highlands Social Services day was a huge success. In the morning, students got to know each other with some icebreakers, and then they viewed a "dedication of the home" ceremony at Highlands Habitat for Humanity-Mason's ridge. Edward and Anne Smoak, who were also present at the dedication, sponsored the home. The next stop was New Testament Mission where students helped prepare and serve a meal for the hungry. In the evening, Jeff Roth of the Children’s Advocacy Center, gave the students a tour of their facilities, lead them through some team building exercises, and taught them about Highlands County social services.

Youth Leadership Highlands Economic Development & Tourism day focused on local business and industry. The students toured Everglades assembly plant, WWII private plane collection at Sebring Airport, listened to a presentation by the Highlands County Director of Tourism, John Sherlacher, and a tour of Sebring International Raceway where we met famous racer Bobby Rahal. As the day came to a close, one YLH student stated, "I learned that Highlands County isn't just a little unknown area in the world, 100's of thousands of people from all over come..."

The Youth Leadership Highlands program emphasized the importance of Highlands County agricultural and environmental industries during a full day of leadership education and training. Several different private and public organizations took part of educating a class of 17 local high school sophomore students about different aspects of Highlands County agriculture and environment. The students picked strawberries and learned about plant cycles and packing at Atlantic Blue Operations, they learned about Florida diary and cattle industries while touring Smoak Ranch in Southern Highlands County, and studied the caladium business at Happiness Farms in Lake Placid.

 

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Smoak Foundation Holds First Meeting of Youth Leadership Highlands

Held Sept. 10th, this "opening retreat" provided an opportunity for the class members to get to know each other and receive training for the program days to come throughout the year by Dr. Hannah Carter, University of Florida Assistant Professor and Director of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute.

Get Full Press Release with Photos here

First Class Selected

Class One of Youth Leadership Highlands, a year-long leadership program for high school students in Highlands County.  The group also recently conducted an orientation meeting for the inaugural class that allowed them to meet the rest of the class and learn more about the program.   

The following students are in Class One of Youth Leadership Highlands Class:

Avon Park High School: Taylor Brown, Zach Farr, Mason Jahna, Kenny McGrath, and Sherida Zeeuw.

Lake Placid High School: Melissa Barajas, Stephanie Bennett, Allison Burnett, Laura Candeletta, Laine Daum, Jessie Sanders, and Luci Torres.

Sebring High School: Marissa Andujar, Dillon Cloud, Raymond Drevermann, Elton Gargano, and Scout Royce.

Official Press Release in PDF

The students will participate in a day-long leadership retreat to kick-off the year then will spend five days through the school year traveling throughout Highlands County visiting businesses, government agencies, social service agencies, churches and other organizations to learn all they can about Highlands County.  The year will wrap up with a graduation ceremony for these students.

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The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is pleased to announce the formation of the Youth Leadership Highlands program, a year-long leadership program for selected high school students.  Students chosen for this program will spend several days throughout the school year learning about their leadership potential and about their community.  The program will target students not currently involved in specific leadership activities. 

“We believe encouraging our young leaders to know their community, know what is available to them in the future in Highlands County, and learning how they fit in as a contributing member of society is very important,” said David Summers, President of the Mason G. Smoak Foundation.

Each year, incoming high school sophomores from Highlands County will be selected to participate in the program.  The students will participate in a day-long leadership retreat to kick-off the year then will spend five days through the school year visiting businesses, government agencies, social service agencies, churches and other organizations to learn all they can about Highlands County. 

“It is our belief that every student has great worth and is able to make a positive impact on our community if they are equipped with the right tools,” said Tracee Smoak, a board member of the Smoak Foundation.  She continued, “Our goal is to inspire students to grow personally and academically toward their individual goals while at the same time instilling a great appreciation for Highlands County and the Ridge Area.”

To apply for the program, print out the Application Form pdf.

 

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