Youth Leadership St. Louis Kicks Off Its 30th Year

On Sept. 7-8, 2018, we welcomed our newest (and 30th) class of Youth Leadership St. Louis! Kicking off the program with an overnight Opening Retreat at YMCA Trout Lodge/Camp Lakewood, participants will spend the next nine months exploring issues in the region and strengthening their individual and collective leadership skills.

Now in its 30th year, Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) brings together high school juniors from public, private and parochial schools throughout the region. This year’s class draws from 46 ZIP codes and 24 schools, including four new partner schools.

Closely mirroring our Leadership St. Louis program for adults, YLSL takes students out of the classroom and into the community to explore what leadership means in our region, while helping them develop their own leadership potential. Each program day offers an immersive learning experience through a mix of site visits, tours, interviews with community leaders, team-building exercises and interactive simulations. Topics explored include local government, criminal justice, health care, education, economic development, diversity, poverty and more, all while building valuable leadership skills in critical thinking, group facilitation, problem-solving, teamwork and public speaking.

Since 1988, more than 3,800 students have participated in the nationally recognized Youth Leadership St. Louis program.

Thank you to all of this year’s participating partners and advisors!