Leadership Hot Springs suspends programs

Leadership Hot Springs has decided to suspend its program for the first time in 33 years, as well as its youth program for the first time in 25 years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re just unsure of the class days and what’s going to be possible for us to do or not do throughout the year, and we just felt it would be unfair to the participants of the class, not to get the full benefit of the program,” Leadership HS Curriculum Chair Glenda Dunn said.

While it was not an easy decision, the board agreed its ability to plan and deliver a “meaningful learning experience in a safe environment for the classes of 20202021 could be hampered,” a news release said.

“The difficulties include scheduling the days with the different locations ability or inability to allow the class’s entrance due to

COVID-19 restrictions, avoiding group gatherings, and practicing social distancing (approximately 6 feet) from others is difficult since we range from 20-60 people per day. The transportation to different sites across the city/state could be hampered by the number of participants and COVID-19 restrictions,” it said.

“There are just too many unknowns for us to be able to successfully launch the program

this September and provide the participants with the full experience of Leadership Hot Springs,” the release said.

The 2020 April and March classes had already been canceled at the start of the pandemic.

“We didn’t know what was going to be happening and we didn’t know if the organizations were going to be available to take that group,” Leadership Hot Springs President Debbie Ugbade said. “So our hope is, for next spring, we can do those classes over for April and March, and let the students get that experience.”

As for the board, Ugbade said they would not be taking off for the year.

“The board is going to continue to meet every month,” she said. “We may meet virtually if we have to, or we’ll meet as a group, and this will give us a chance to talk and consider strategies that we could use to help impact the leadership program for both the youth and the adults.”

According to the release, the Leadership Hot Springs program develops participants’ potential for community leadership and decision making by exposing them to “the realities, opportunities and problems in our Greater Hot Springs Area.”

The program said it offers the following benefits to participants:

• Strengthen their sense of vision.

• Allow them to discover leadership strengths, increase leadership skills, and find areas in which “your unique contribution can be given.”

• Network with a diverse group of community leaders.

• Develop an awareness of issues and challenges facing the region and the Hot Springs area.

• Increase their ability to articulate the vision of the community and translate that vision into action.

• Commit on behalf of the community.