Junior Leadership gearing up for summer’s condensed program
High school juniors encouraged to apply
The popularity of Junior Leadership Macomb grows with every group that experiences the program provides teenagers with a unique opportunity to learn about what goes on in Macomb County.
Call it a backstage pass if you will.
Teens in the program go on field trips and tours that include everything from the county administration building and the Anton Art Center to the Detroit Institute of Arts and Jimmy John’s Field.
They also do activities. One year participants might experience a hospital simulation lab, witness a court sentencing, participate in a mock disaster drill or enjoy a five-course meal while learning about social etiquette and networking. That’s the cool thing about the program. Every group experiences something unique and interesting.
And now is the time to do it.
Junior Leadership Macomb, which is open to Macomb Intermediate School District’s high school juniors, is currently accepting applications for its next cohort. The deadline to apply is May 26.
To help accommodate student schedules, the next group to partake in Junior Leadership Macomb will experience a condensed week-long version of the program over the summer followed by a January reunion. The program will still keep most of its content with a focus on the key components that previous students have found most helpful.
Junior Leadership Macomb IX completed their program in March. During it, students went on more than two dozen trips. They learned about ethics in the media, personal finance and the judicial system and met with 113 speakers and volunteers.
As a collective group they helped to support four different organizations with various projects.
This included wrapping presents for mall patrons to raise money for Arc of Macomb, which is an organization dedicated to providing enrichment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They created blankets for the Detroit Animal Welfare Group and Troy Beaumont Pediatrics and Valentines Day cards for memory care residents at Waltonwood Senior Living.
“Junior Leadership Macomb provides a wide variety of experiences and opportunities for juniors,” Julia Dobiasz, marketing and social media coordinator said in a news release. “The program aims to educate, prepare teens for life after high school, provide networking and shadowing opportunities, build skills, and create awareness within the students’ schools and communities.”