Irene Sanders is in an enviable position. The executive director of Student Leadership Johns Creek is culling through hundreds of applications for the program that accommodates only 90 participants.
The number of rising sophomores and juniors vying for a spot has exploded since the program launched five years ago to give those at Johns Creek, Centennial, Chattahoochee and Northview high schools the chance to cultivate mentors, learn about career opportunities and develop leadership qualities outside the classroom.
“It’s become highly competitive; this year we have almost 100 applications just from Northview alone,” said Sanders, who has spearheaded the program for three years. “We often look for someone who may not have a leadership role in school but who still has the drive to be a leader – a kid who isn’t necessarily in everything, but they’re not just thinking about school work.”
Sanders believes the program’s popularity stems from two chief attractions: It looks great on a college resume, and its special programming that takes place off campus during regular class hours.
“They travel to different places; we’ve been to the state capitol, the jail, the county courts,” she said. “We have a Johns Creek day when they meet with the major and city manager. We bring in speakers and have activities.
Accepted students must commit to staying in the program for two years. In the first term, the focus is on community services that often involves visiting local elementary and middle schools to work with younger students. That might mean leading a reading group or assisting students with special needs. In the last year, students spend time shadowing a career professional and create video presentations of their experience. On Feb. 25, students will work with senior citizens in a technology training workshop around iPads and tablets.
“We’ve found that many seniors don’t know how to use the phones; they may even be afraid to play with it,” said Sanders. “Teenagers are great at showing people how to use them, and it’s good for them to work with a population they rarely see. And I think it teaches them a little patience.”
Students in the second year of the program create an online portfolio with a resume and LinkedIn membership, and can have their materials reviewed by mentors in the adult leadership class. Along the way, they are encouraged to develop programs that interest them, said Sanders.
“For instance, we had a speaker come in and talk to them about texting and driving, and two kids who heard that went back to their principal and arranged an assembly where they talked about texting and driving and showed videos,” she said. “They wound up organizing a whole week around the issue.”
For Johns Creek senior Koosha Kermani, 17, being part of the leadership program has taken up considerable time, but the rewards have been significant.
“My ability to talk to adults and possible employers and teachers has improved a lot,” he said. “I’m more confident about what I want to do; the skills I have to do that are more refined. We’ve had a lot of professionals give seminars and those are some of my best educational days. And college counselors seem to admire that I’ve stuck with this one program.”
Kermani has worked with students at State Bridge Crossing Elementary on a variety of topics, including organizational and leadership skills. He also helped coach the school’s mock trial team. During the summer, he had the chance to shadow a doctor at Emory Johns Creek Hospital.
“I want to be pre-med in college, so it was a great experience,” he said. “I’m still talking to her now. It did take a good chunk of time, but all of the projects I’ve done have been things I wanted to do and they’ve been for a great cause, too.”
Information about Leadership Johns Creek: leadershipjohnscreek.com.
Free workshop with Student Leadership Johns Creek
Tablet 101
10 – 11:30 a.m. Feb. 25
Park Place at Newtown School, 3125 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek
Bring your own device or use one provided.
Reservations required: 678-512-3430, parkplace@johnscreek.gov
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