The first meeting of the Youth Leadership Shelby County members was held at the 4H-Center in Columbiana on November 3rd and 4th.

This leadership group in composed of juniors from various high schools within Shelby County. Youth Leadership Shelby is a program that is built around cultivating the growth of youthful leaders in our communities.

The 40 plus member class was split up into four different groups that will each start their own service project. This service project is meant to engage the youth in helping out other communities as well as their own.

When asked why she wanted to be in Leadership Shelby County, Lindsey Cook from Thompson High said she wants to “give back to my community and learn how to become a well rounded person under the guidance from mentors in our county.”

The main objective of the opening retreat of the program is to introduce all of the young leaders and built strong, long-lasting relationships. The attendees were involved in a number of different team bonding activities that were meant to bring the members of the program closer together. There were many activities ranging from performing skits to students engaging in trust games.

When asked about her experience at the retreat Jenna Nabors from Montevallo High said “Walking into the retreat I was nervous and was just ready for it to be over. I quickly found out that it was actually very fun and I had a  great time getting to know the people I will be with all year.”

This program is an amazing experience for everyone involved. It not only helps create friendships and connections, but it is also beneficial to the communities and everyone that the service project reaches out to. All upcoming juniors should take advantage of this amazing opportunity to become involved with this organization.