Leadership Franklin County Picks Class Project

Leadership Franklin County’s class of 2017 has selected Youth Leadership Program for underprivileged students in Franklin County as its class community project.

Through a partnership with Community Services Inc. (CSI), the program will provide identified youth in Franklin County with monthly opportunities during the 2017-18 academic year to interact with industry leaders, practice leadership skills, conduct professional conversations, participate in team building activities and give a day of community service.

The program is designed to be a youth-oriented version of what Leadership Franklin County is for adults.

“With love, support and commitment our clients learn that they can have endless possibilities as they tackle the stepping stones of life and I hope this will empower students enrolled in the program to achieve more,” said Kaethe Hoehling with CSI. “I believe with the two entities unified as one body we are making our youth strong and tomorrow prosperous.”

A portion of the funding for the program was made possible through the donation of a 500-pound calf by Bill and Chris Sossaman of Sossaman Farms in Ozark. The calf was the prize in a drawing won by Rex Heffington of Ozark that raised $3,000 to support Youth Leadership Program in Franklin County.

“The initial plan is to develop the program for one year,” said Laura Rudolph, director of Leadership Franklin County and director of public and external relations at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus. “Pending resources, it’s our hope to create an annual fundraiser to continue this program throughout the years. However, we believe that if we can help just one child through this one-year program, it is worth our time and effort. There are many children in our community that need a focused opportunity to develop leadership skills and awareness of what our community has to offer them.”

Potential students will be identified by local school counselors, juvenile court, the Arkansas Division of Youth Services or CSI staff. Applicants will be required to agree to the requirements of the program.

For more information about Youth Leadership Program, call (479) 508-3315.

Photographed (from left-to-right): Jamie Higgins, director of development for Community Service Youth Foundation; Kaethe Hoehling, CSI community outreach manager and Leadership Franklin County class member; Sydney Acord, Leadership Franklin County class member; and Laura Rudolph, public and external relations at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus.