The Junior Youth of the Year program seeks to recognize and develop leadership among members ages 10-13. This program develops Club members’ leadership abilities while preparing them for later participation in the Youth of the Year program. Members work with a personalized mentor to put together an “All About Me” portfolio and learn interviewing and public speaking skills. Most importantly, they learn to tell their story.

Learning one’s story or personal brand is a skill that is not always recognized as a top priority, but it is a skill that is indispensable. This skill will follow the student throughout their life through class projects, college applications, scholarship applications, and past their academics into their professional career.

All Junior Youth of the Year candidates have the opportunity to present their story and what they have learned from the program at the Dinner with Friends event in November.

While we have an active and flourishing Youth of the Year program, we have not had many members participate in Junior Youth of the Year. We want to be able to expand this program and give members the opportunity to go through this important stepping stone. Contributions to invest in this program will aid in providing additional staff hours to mentor members as they go through this process.