With over 30 kids ages 14 to 18 from Plant City, and 800 individuals in total at the Student Leadership University program in Washington D.C., the parents and youth leaders attending had more than enough to handle from July 13 to 17.
Among the leaders was Ricky Lindsey, the youth pastor at Plant City’s First Baptist Church.
“I’m used to (the activity) by now,” Lindsey said.
The focus of the program is to teach young leaders the skills they need to remain resilient and continue to lead, while maintaining the values of the Christian church. Lindsey led his Plant City pupils through several levels of Student Leadership University.
“This all allows me the opportunity to see these kids grow,” Lindsey said. “They will become leaders and maybe one day an effective mother or father or spouse.”
The Leadership program has been designed to push students through several stages of awareness, starting at level 101 and working its way up to 401, where the attendees travel out of country. Each program has to be completed in nu
merical order before the attendee can continue to the next level.
Level 101 was in Orlando, and included about 12 hours of classroom time.
“A couple of us went to Orlando, and it was a lot of fun,” Ashlyn Yarbrough, a 16-year-old student who attended the seminar, said. “We all decided we wanted to go again.”
Washington D.C is level 201.
“We learned how to be leaders in the face of controversial topics,” Ashlyn Yarbrough said.
Lori Yarbrough was a parent on the Washington D.C. trip and values the skills that the students in attendance received.
“They are getting a 20 year jumpstart on life,” Lori Yarbrough said.
Level 301 is a journey to several European cities, including Oxford, Normandy and Paris.
The final leg of the conference is level 401, where the students travel to Israel.
“Most of the students are already showing signs of leading out,” Lindsey said. “They are encouraged to follow their dreams instead of passing away the day with, say, video games,”
While Student Leadership University 201 included hours of learning in the program, the students also had time to enjoy Washington D.C.
“My favorite part would have to be touring the city,” Tyler Dixon, a Plant City High School student, said.
The youth visited historical must-sees, such as the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
“We did a thing called History-on-the-go, where the kids learned a lot about our national history while also doing leadership sessions,” Lindsey said.
A few students stayed two days longer. They were joined by Congressman Dennis Ross and wife, Cindy Ross.
“We wandered around to see the House of Representatives and Senate,” Ashlyn Yarbrough said. “I guess the public can’t view those anymore, but because we were with a congressman we could.”