HIGH POINT, N.C., June 29, 2018 – Teens in the High Point community will graduate tonight from the Youth Leadership Academy, hosted by the High Point Police Department and High Point University. The 10-day academy has given local high school and middle school students the chance to serve their community and develop their leadership skills.
This is the fifth year HPU and HPPD have partnered to host the program, which focuses on developing the teens’ leadership skills and introducing them to avenues for community service.
The students’ days have been filled with meeting and learning from community leaders, completing leadership-building and team-building activities, and completing community service projects. The students have visited Festival Park, City Hall, High Point Police Department, Salvation Army, Fort Bragg, Hanging Rock State Park, Open Door Ministries, Brookdale assisted living community, and more.
“We’ve had a lot of opportunities to help out in the community that we may not have been aware of otherwise,” says Rosi Rian, a rising junior at Kearns Academy in High Point. “It’s a great learning experience, and it provides a way for us to reach back out to the organizations we’ve served for opportunities to volunteer long after the program is complete. I’ve met more people in the community through this program, and it’s great to have connected with other youth leaders in my own community.”
On Monday, students prepared lunches for Open Door Ministries, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent and end hunger and homelessness in the city of High Point, and served them to the people in need.
“Throughout our work in the community, I’ve watched everyone step up into leadership roles to help out,” says Chase Ramey, a rising junior at Vandalia Christian School. “Packaging food for Open Door Ministries is an example of how we’ve come together, and in a small amount of time helped hundreds of people. It’s not just been a win for those we’re helping, but a win for us as well.”
As a thank you to the people who made the academy possible, the students wrote thank you notes to the individuals and organizations they visited during the academy.
“With this academy coming to a successful close, we’ll debrief and start planning next year’s program,” says Jonathan Hurt, school resource officer for Southwest Guilford High School and organizer of the academy. “In the fall, all of the resource officers who take part in leading the program will start looking for top-notch kids at their individual schools to apply for the program. We’re always looking to take kids who are already showing interest in the community, involvement in their school and a desire to lead and further develop their interests during the academy.”