Everyone leads in different ways, but all great leaders had practice!
Teen Leadership Journey - For Middle and High School Students (Fall/Spring Sessions)
Register Here for our Fall and Spring Programs
In this unique program, students will meet monthly to practice leadership skills through exercises. Each month, a new skill will be taught and all students will have the opportunity to participate. In this program, fun is key and all program offerings will be interactive. You will complete tasks like the Marshmallow Challenge, where you are given limited supplies and must create the tallest tower. Each month’s challenges will be new and will hone your team building, communication, and leadership skills. These opportunities to practice leadership are invaluable. We will continue to offer a faith-filled atmosphere that builds on our four pillars of human formation.
Students in grades 5-12 can participate and will be grouped by age. High school students will have opportunities to lead younger student groups. All students will practice leadership skills and be an example to others in our community through chaperoned service at/for local charities.
Each session (fall/spring) includes:
- Up to 30 hours of session, service, and coaching time
- Including up to 10 hours service retreat/local mission,
- 1 hour of individual mentoring with Perfect Fit College Coaching (will only be offered once, regardless of sessions participated),
- Up to 3 hours of personal Strengths coaching or coaching with student and parent/ age dependent (an additional $300 value). This will only be included once/year. Prior students will also receive coaching.
- Students will also receive a Gallup StrengthsFinder book or tool (age-dependant) ($25 value) and online assessment ($20 value).
- Presidential Volunteer Service Awards and Certified Teen Leader Awards will be earned through this program (restrictions apply).
- Adventure/Leadership Programs anticipated to be held at Cadence Clubhouse, inside Pro Bike + Run North Park.
Session 1 - Tentative Dates: (Session 1 - Sept- Dec; Session 2- Jan- April- dates TBD)
Sept. 14- Adventure/Leadership Challenge 1 “Olympics” with Mentor Coach Dave Gray 7-8:45 pm
Sept. 27- “Be The Light” Awards Banquet - for all past and current students, and community leader honorees. Each student who has participated with us will be eligible for a certificate, and many will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Teens will also earn service hours for their volunteerism at this event. Time TBD (6-9 pm anticipated with varied time slots)
October 5- Adventure/Leadership Challenge 2 -Food Science and Art Challenges with Adult Mentors CMU Professor, Phil LeDuc, and Professional Artist Lorrie Minnocozzi. 7-8:45 pm
October 17- Local Mission to Sacred Gate Blueberry Farm in Apollo, PA. 8 am-10 pm anticipated.
November 9- Community Mentors/College Event with Perfect Fit College Coaching (Middle School focus will be hands-on job demo). Parents encouraged to attend. 7-8:45 pm
November 16- Meal Making for the Homeless Service Event. Time TBD.
Week of December 7- Toy Drive Service Event Time. TBD
December 14- Adventure/Leadership Challenge 3- Extreme Athlete Challenge with Iron Man mentor Mark Hunkele. 7-8:45 pm.
Session 2- Spring (you may sign up for only one session) - Dates are and descriptions are tentative and subject to change. Due to the changing circumstances surrounding COVID, we are not posting our full event schedule as they have been changing due to volunteer and other in-person requirements. Please contact us directly for further details - we promise lots of fun!
January 11- SOLVE with John Carrol professor Scott Allen
January 25- Phone Calls to the Homebound - Service
February 1
February 22
March 8
March 20- Family Mission to Sacred Gate Farm, Apollo, PA (friends/non-students welcome $50 fee)
April 12
April 24
Who: 5th-12th grade students
Cost per session: Session 1- $500. Session 2- $500. $50 discount for choosing both sessions at initial sign-up.
** All dates, times, locations are subject to change
Email: TheTeenLeadershipProject@gmail.com for information on how to register!
Register Here for our Fall and Spring Programs
Teen Leadership Project - Leadership Journey
The Teen Leadership Project helps teens discern their unique gifts and live a life of purpose through leadership, mission, and faith-based opportunities. Ephesians 2:10
Everyone needs a WHY. A purpose and a plan– to feel fulfillment. Unlock your hidden potential. See that everyone was made to lead in God’s kingdom. Unleash your talents on the world through love and service.
Four Pillars: Strengths, Service, Faith, Intellectual
What’s Included/ What are the Four Pillars?
Each year’s program will be unique, but will include the important elements below:
Strengths-Based - Who am I?, How was I made?, What am I great at? What are my academic and career interests?
Community-Service - Forming well-rounded volunteers who unify those they serve.
Spiritually-Based - A foundation for anyone who wants to grow in faith and understand God’s will for one’s life.
Learning-Based - Grow in wisdom and understanding of issues facing our world. Participate in respectful conversation and debate.
I’m writing to thank you for all you have done for me over the past two years from Honduras to the volunteer internship this summer. When I signed up for the mission trip, I didn’t know many people and had never been on a mission trip before. However, you made me feel welcomed from the get-go. You probably know that Honduras changed my life, but you may not know that at the end of last year (my senior year) I had no friends. All my friends turned on me and bullied me through the end of senior year. It’s definitely not what anyone would or want their senior year to end up. With that being said, when I left for Honduras I was in a rough point in my life. Honduras completely changed my life in the sense that those kids taught me to love myself for who I am. They taught be the true value of kindness and friendship. The small group setting was also vital to the trip as well. I opened up to people that I didn’t know very well before the trip about my senior year and have meaningful conversations with them. They also taught me that none of what my so called “friends” said to me was true. Through the trip, I grew closer to God and came to love myself and others in an unconditional way. Since Honduras I have been more involved in mission trips and campus ministry than any other point in my life. I know that all of this would not have been possible without you. From organizing meetings to keeping all safe while in Honduras you did an amazing job. No amount of thank you’s will ever be enough for all you did for me. Thanks again. (Student)
Learn About Yourself
Only 19 percent of most 4-year public university undergrads graduate on time
Only 47 percent of students from higher-income high schools completed a college degree in six years
Each additional year we spend paying college tuition increases the debt incurred, on average $22,826 for every year at a public four-year college in costs to students and parents. Future earnings and savings are also negatively impacted
Sources: Complete College America report, 2017 High School Benchmarks Report - National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), 2017 Completing College Report - NSCRC
What if our program could help your student feel confident about their God-given gifts and talents? What if it helped them know and understand what they are best at? What if it helped them choose their future profession, major, or vocation with confidence? What if it saved one or two years of indecision in terms of selecting a major, finishing college, or finding a career? What would that mean for your family in terms of mental health and happiness? What about financially?
Lead from your Strengths…
In our ten-month development journey for teens, we will meet twice monthly, for our group sessions as well as service. In addition, each teen will participate in a local Service Retreat and will have the opportunity to participate in a sports-ministry mission to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in partnership with a local church. All meetings will be experience-based and FUN and will build upon the Four Pillars of The Teen Leadership Project.
Leadership and President’s Volunteer Service Awards
Earn designations such as the Certified Teen Leader Award and Presidential Volunteer Service Awards as part of your participation (qualifications apply).
Community Mentors
Professionals volunteer their time as Community Mentors and help form the next generation of leaders by sharing their own talents and experiences. In sharing what they do and the types of challenges they face at work and at home, they have an opportunity to impact the future generation of world leaders.
Community Mentors are enriched as they give back.
At the Teen Leadership Project, we don’t believe in “Facebook-type” encounters where we only share the positive in jobs and careers, rather we encourage real and authentic conversations in which we share the good and bad. The goal is helping teens find the path best suited to them.
We believe that too often our teens are shielded from life’s difficulties. By showing teens that struggles exist in every profession and relationship, we offer them a path to resiliency. We show them a way to heal from their wounds and to grow from past failures and difficulty.
Want to volunteer to be a Community Mentor? Are you available for email questions about your job? Could you spare an hour of your time to talk with someone about what you do for a living? Are you inspired to do more and perhaps you would like to journey with our teens (clearances required)? We value the amazing gifts you have to offer!