Community Services Program

Conference to Highlight youth Leadership

Teaching youths the importance of civic responsibility in school and the community is a main focus of the Community Leadership Youth Conference

The UMass Dartmouth Educational leadership for Civic Responsibility is offering a Community Leadership Youth conference Aug. 12-15 at the University.

The conference is designed for youths who are concerned about society and are interested in learning how to develop leadership skills and networks to affect the community.

"This program will empower young people into decision making following a pedagogy of three items: the first, by helping them plan and implement a project; the second, by linking curriculum to the project; and the third, by allowing them to engage in a service learning experience," said Ken Pottel, director of ELCR.

The four-day conference will feature ropes courses led by six certified instructors, overnight camping, leadership workshops, discussion groups, swimming, tennis and movies. The conference will also include a community service project, for which participants will paint a mural at a local soup kitchen.

"Participants will learn the importance of group dynamics and conference building," Mr. Pottel said.

Participants will also be able to get involved in a regional project, for which they will come up with an idea, create a timetable, stay in contact with each other and implement their ideas.

"We will provide them with resources and set them up to succeed," Mr. Pottel said. "It will be a good experience for them. They really are going to be doing something that will make a difference and have an impact."

Conference organizers hope to provide participants with a chance to serve others and to build resumes and career awareness.

"Our conference has been planned with activities that are designed to be engaging and thought-provoking, as well as fun," Mr. Pottel said.

The conference will be the first of its kind in the state, and officials hope to expand it with more funding for the future.

Students who will be in Grades 7 through 12 in the fall are encouraged to register. Registration is limited to 30 applicants and is on a first come, first serve basis. The conference fee is $185 and is nonrefundable.

For more information, call Deirdre Healy, UMass Darmouth communityservice coordinator, (508) 999-8641.

This Story appeared on Page A13 of The Standard-Times on July 8, 2004.