Jefferson Chamber Youth Leadership Program

Connecting, Developing and Engaging our Youth

History:

The Jefferson Chamber Youth Leadership (JCYL) Program, initially called Leadership Jefferson Student Program, began as a student conference in May 2006, for the top three juniors (as determined by the principals or counselors) from public, private and parochial schools.  The goal of the conference was to reach out to the Parish’s young involved leaders and present them with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills; after all, these students are the future of Jefferson Parish.

The conference was so successful and well received, it was determined a yearlong program for the initial students attending the conference was needed.  Participants from the first event (May 2006), currently seniors in their perspective schools, will be the first class to graduate the JCYL program – and we are excited for the classes to come!

About the Program:

The Jefferson Chamber Youth Leadership Program’s mission is to foster the development of our future leaders through education so they can assume an active role in Jefferson Parish.  Our belief is by one-on-one experiences, the students are able to gain insight and perspective about the realities of our community, both for the better and worse.  We arrange qualified and provocative speakers, like Mayor of Gretna Ronnie Harris and Councilman Tom Capella; we develop programs to derive thought and questions and give the participants opportunities their peers are not able to experience, like eating a four-course meal on a cruise ship or visiting the jail in Gretna.

The program, broken up into seven days, meets once a month for an entire school day.  The JCYL committee has determined the important issues to be covered are: Orientation, Government, Economic Development, Law Enforcement, Education/Heathcare and Graduation.  The students are also required to select and complete a group community service project before their graduation.  Please see the attached sheet for detailed information on individual events.   

The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce funds the Youth Leadership program, which is developed and administered by a subcommittee of the Chamber’s Education Committee.  All facilitators, except for Chamber staff, are volunteers.    

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build the youth for the future”

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