I AM YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
275
Students
6
Locations
7
Years
Sponsored By:
The Next Generation
Now in its seventh year, the “I AM” Youth Leadership Program (YLP) consists of cohorts of at least 30 high school juniors in the Irvington and Paterson school districts and focuses on students’ ability to function successfully in the 21st century workforce. Program objectives include improving students’ academic awareness and success, preparing them for employment, sharing higher learning opportunities, teaching students how to set and achieve personal goals, and inspiring them to give back to their communities and work to improve their neighborhoods and schools.
The “I AM” YLP offers leadership and job-readiness training; life-skills training; direct interaction with professionals from various industries; classroom mentorship, role playing, case studies, and interactive activities; career development workshops; and a closing ceremony with individual letters of recommendation and certificates of achievement. Course titles include:
Sessions include:
- Steps to Attaining Leadership
- Team Building
- Ethics
- Public Speaking and Effective Communication
- Job-readiness
- Banking and Financial Literacy
- Entrepreneurship Basics
- Career Day with Government and Corporate Representatives
- STEAM Day (a field trip to a New Jersey Corporation followed by an overview of
career opportunities and executive dialogue and mentorship)
The “I AM” YLP serves as a best-practice example of blended educational and transformational business competencies that improve the development of youth participants. The “I AM” YLP pedagogy evidences the success of marrying business practices with traditional education. Moreover, students’ direct access to industry professionals affords them the opportunity to ask real-time questions about future careers and receive insight as to the pros and cons of and trends within certain industries. This is a tremendous value for youths as they chart their paths as future leaders.
