Youth Leadership Grows Here!
Preparing the next generation to lead and serve.
That’s the purpose of Youth Leadership Fond du Lac (YLF), a Sophia Partners program that increases youth participant knowledge of the people, resources, and organizations that make the greater Fond du Lac area communities better.
On Monday, May 13, 2024, Sophia Partners celebrated the YLF year-end event at the Lakeside Park Pavilion in Fond du Lac.
Parents, high school liaisons, program sponsors & community leaders were invited to celebrate the completion of this year’s program, specifically each individual youth’s growth and the impact the students made in our community.
6 Leadership Lessons (regardless of your age/experience)
Featured Speaker: Tracy Ogden
To highlight leadership in the community, Tracy Ogden, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh, shared her story and takeaways with students and guests:
- Find a mentor. Find your champion: Someone who pushes you to be the very best you.
- Resiliency. This isn’t just about bouncing back from setbacks; it’s about rising stronger, wiser, and more determined than before. You are your very best advocate.
- Being told “No.” To me, “No” has always been a negotiation. Have you had someone say “no,” you’re good enough for this, or “no” you are not smart enough for this? Take it and let it fuel your passion to do it and do it better than anyone ever imagined.
- Find your sense of community and learn the importance of giving back. Whether through volunteer work, community service projects, or acts of kindness, we’ve learned true fulfillment comes not from what we achieve for ourselves, but from what we contribute to others.
- The power of failure and accountability. Sometimes when pursuing your goals, building relationships, and trying new things – we fail. It didn’t work or we were not good at it. In these times, it’s critical to be kind to yourself, take accountability for any mistakes made and learn from it. This is what makes you stronger.
- Pursue all opportunities – opportunities to grow, to learn, and to lead. Seize every single one of these opportunities. It shows initiative, creativity, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.
Perhaps most importantly, all these experiences can take you on a journey of self-discovery – a journey of finding your potential and passion. You can explore your interests, hone your talents, and discover what truly sets your soul on fire.
The Potential of the Next Generation:
Community Impact Project
One of the facets of YLF is to plan, create, and execute a service project that positively impacts the community. Two problems this year’s students identified within the community were the potential dangers of vaping in adolescents and the improper disposal of vapes.
After mock board meetings, learning about business creation, and listening to community leaders, the students took action. They rallied behind the project: Vape Device Disposal and Education, in partnership with the Fond du Lac County Health Department. This collaboration focused on efforts to:
- Clean up the community by providing safe vape disposal.
- Educate for prevention and intervention.
The students reached out to places in Fond du Lac County including schools, restaurants, vape shops, and gas stations to get permission to place a vape disposal bucket and/or informational posters at their locations over the next year.
The vape disposal buckets are a community-friendly option for users to properly dispose of their vapes and seek help if needed.
The Goal: Clean up Fond du Lac County of vapes while advocating for a healthier lifestyle for adolescents and adults.
About Youth Leadership Fond du Lac
YLF was founded in 2006 as a project of the adult Leadership Fond du Lac program under the facilitation of Envision Greater Fond du Lac.
Since 2021, Sophia Partners has been the program facilitator. With our learning circle approach, students learn alongside each other, from community leaders, and with the support and leadership of our program facilitators.
“Our community has so much to offer…this program gave me hands-on opportunities that I can share throughout my career.” – K. Sullivan, 2022-2023 Participant
During this 8-month long program, 20 juniors selected from eight Fond du Lac County high schools engaged in their own personal leadership journeys while learning about and significantly improving their perception of the Greater Fond du Lac area communities.
You Can Foster Youth Leadership Development
This program is provided at no cost to students and schools. Sophia Partners relies on donations, sponsors, and grants as primary funding sources to underwrite the $1,000 cost per student to participate in this program.
“The youth are our future, and the best investment that can be made in a community is in the furthering and betterment of the activities that our youth can take part in.” – Anonymous, 2023-2024 Participant
If you would like to contribute to next year’s program or sponsor a student, donate here!
Thank you to this year’s sponsors:
