United Way of Central Indiana now accepting applications for the 2018 Youth Leadership United Program
Youth Leadership United (YLU) is a program of United Way of Central Indiana. High school freshmen, sophomores and juniors (2017-18 school year) are eligible to apply.United Way welcomes students who:
- Are interested in community issues.
- Are interested in volunteer service.
- Want to develop their leadership potential.
- Want to serve alongside adults on nonprofit boards and committees.
Each year, YLU selects and trains 30 high school students from Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan counties. YLU is one of several youth-focused civic participation programs offered by United Way of Central Indiana. Classes and activities are scheduled outside the school day and begin with an opening retreat in January and continue for six Saturday sessions until May. Training includes sessions on philanthropy and giving, board responsibilities, meeting procedures, diversity, consensus and team building, community issues, personal mission, hands-on community service and more. All the sessions are in Indianapolis and a $100 fee is charged to each youth selected as a participant. Youth also become familiar with United Way and its community priorities and agencies. Program graduates are provided opportunities to serve on local nonprofit boards or committees. Applications are due Thursday, November 2, 2017. To apply and learn more about the program, visit www.uwci.org/ylu. Contact Celeste Gellenbeck, 317-920-2506 or celeste.gellenbeck@uwci.org if you have questions. In its 23rd year, YLU has previously placed youth graduates on boards with such organizations as Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Joseph Maley Foundation, Marion County Commission on Youth, Sheltering Wings, and The Caring Center, to name a few. One recent participant had this to say about the program: “The program taught me responsibility by giving me tasks to make me step out of the box, asking me to do things I never thought of or had tried before.” For more information and to apply, click here.