Part I: The Summer Session: Sunday, August 2 – Friday, August 7, 2020
Students are required to attend each day of the summer session.
Days 1-2: Students attend a 1 and 1/2-day team building session (not an overnight retreat) during which students engage in problem-solving exercises to learn about leadership and team development.
Day 3: Students learn about leadership qualities and values, and cultural diversity. They may take a personality inventory test to learn about their own leadership styles and how to work with other people.
Day 4: Students tour the Howard County General Hospital and one of the 50+ Centers to visit seniors. Students participate in a teen poverty simulation and learn about various health and human services, non-profits, and agencies to understand some of the issues facing our county.
Day 5: Students visit Howard County Government leaders and learn how local government works, which include economic development and entrepreneurial activities in the county. Students participate in a criminal justice rotation with a tour of the 911 Call Center, visit with the Howard County Police Youth Engagement Officer, and meet with a local judge. Students will also tour the Howard County Detention Center.
Day 6: Students brainstorm about problems impacting our community with a particular focus on youth. They choose issues of importance and create teams to begin their problem-solving work. Each team has an adult mentor to help guide them through their service project.
Part II: The Fall Session – (for all key program dates, click here)
Beginning in August, student teams meet with their mentor regularly (twice a month on Sunday afternoons) to design and implement their project. They may make site visits to research their chosen issue, engage in role-play to better understand problems, or meet with community leaders to explore their ideas. As a result, the student teams prepare real solutions to their chosen project.
At the graduation ceremony in December, each team presents the results of its group project and presents the process of solving community problems as a group. The ceremony is attended by parents, school principals, Leadership Howard County participants, and civic and business leaders in the community.
