Leadership Opportunity for Sophomores

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership

Empower ~ Lead ~ Excell

Leaders are not simply born.  They're chosen, nurtured, and developed.

HOBY's flagship program, the State Leadership Seminar, is designed to empower high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, and community.  Your high school's selected student attends our three- or four-day seminar to participate in hands-on leadership activities, meet leaders in your state, and explore personal leadership skills, while learning how to lead others and make a positive impact in the community.  

Every spring, nearly 10,000 high school sophomores from across the country are chosen to represent their high schools in HOBY State Leadership Seminars.  Your student will have a life-changing experience and develop leadership skills which will serve him/her long into the future!

Register at www.hoby.org or call 818-851-3980x400.  Log in to see your seminar date, location, and registration fee.

Guaranteed Acceptance date of DECEMBER 5, 2014.  (Registrations submitted after this date are accepted on a space-available basis.)

If you are interested in being considered for this leadership experience, please stop by the Student Services Office to pick up more information.

Desired Leadership Characteristics:

• outstanding oral and/or written communication skills
• critical and/or creative thinking
• creative problem solving
• strong decision-making skills
• sensitivity to the needs or concerns of others
• charismatic personality (others gravitate towards him or her)
• courage to speak out for one's beliefs
• courage to challenge authority
• participation and/or interest in community service activities

Summer Program: 2014 Emory Pre-College Program

Discover College Life This Summer!

The Emory Pre-College Program gives rising juniors and seniors in high school an exciting glimpse of academic and residential life at a top-ranked national university.  High school students may enroll in classes with college students, earn transferable college credit, and explore topics with professors who are the leading experts in their fields.  

Students live away from home and experience the independence and responsibility of college life in a safe, secure, and supervised environment.  Students live together in an air-conditioned residence hall on the main Emory campus.  Experienced residence life staff provide supervision and help students make the most of their summer academic experience. 

Credit Courses (six weeks)

• Session 1: May 19-June 27 (commuter only)
• Session 2: June 29-August 9 (residential and commuter)

Non-Credit Courses (two and three weeks)

• Session A: June 29-July 12 (residential and commuter)
• Session B: July 13-July 26 (residential and commuter)
• Session C: July 27-August 9 (residential and commuter)
• Three-Week Institute: July 13-August 2 (residential and commuter)

Apply online at www.precollege.emory.edu. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis.

For more information, contact precollege@emory.edu or 404-727-9279.

Summer Programs: South Carolina Business Week

Are you interested in going into business?  This might be the summer program opportunity for you!  And it's FREE!  South Carolina Business Week is the premier youth program of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  The timely and customized curriculum encourages participants to excel as individuals while becoming integral team players.  Learn skills from leaders in business, education and government; CEOs from some of South Carolina's largest corporations; and experts in economics, diversity, communications, international business, management, and research and development.

THE DETAILS
Who: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors (top 1/3 of their class)
When: July 13-18, 2014
Where: Presbyterian College
Cost: $50 application fee (program attendees are sponsored by the business community)
Deadline: APRIL 11, 2014

BONUS
Each year, South Carolina Business Week presents four college scholarships totaling $12,000 to deserving students.  The scholarships are: the S. Hunter Howard, Jr. Business Week Scholarship ($5,000), the Ron McNair Leadership Scholarship ($3,000), the Rawl Family Scholarship ($2,000), and the Chelse Ward Elliott Scholarship ($2,000).  Students who receive one of the first three scholarships must attend an in-state college or university in order to receive the scholarship money.  Students are required to submit a separate scholarship application, which will be mailed to them once they are accepted into the South Carolina Business Week program.

If you are interested in learning more or applying for this program, stop by the Student Services Office in the 100 building.  Or visit http://www.scbusinessweek.com/.

Summer Program: Emerging Public Leaders

Are you a rising senior in high school and interested in getting involved and making a difference in the world?  The Emerging Public Leaders program might be for you!  And it's FREE!  This exciting and innovative program features sessions with local, state, and national governmental leaders as well as members of the faculty of Furman's Department of Political Science.  Students attend lectures, participate in off-campus trips, and interact with speakers and faculty individually and in small-group sessions.  Campus lectures and special sessions will address topics such as community activism, working with the media, international politics, and issues surrounding poverty.  Throughout the week, each student also participates in activities and workshops designed to help them identify a problem or need in their own community and to develop a student-led project addressing this problem or need.

THE DETAILS
Who: rising Seniors
When: June 22-28, 2014
Where: Furman University
Cost: free
Deadline: APRIL 11, 2014

Application: http://riley.furman.edu/
For more information, contact Program Logistics Coordinator, Alexis Sprogis (alexis.sprogis@furman.edu; 864-294-3696).

Experience vs. Performance

Two weeks ago, SFCS sent High School and Middle School delegations to the 2013 Youth In Government (YIG) Conference in Columbia, SC.  Youth in Government is a YMCA-sponsored event that brings together middle and high school students from all over the United States in a three-day conference where students gain a glimpse into the inner workings of the state government process. During the conference, students propose, write, and defend bills, run for offices for the next year, and meet state legislators. 

This year was especially great for the SFCS delegation – seven SFCS bills were signed into YIG law; four middle school students and one high school student were named Outstanding Statesmen; two SFCS bills earned the Outstanding Bill Award; and both delegations were named Premier Delegations.   (For more details and pictures, visit http://shannonforest.com/headlines.html.)

So what could possibly make this experience just as important as the SAT – a nationally recognized method of evaluating college applicants?   

The SAT by nature is designed to provide a generalized snapshot of an individual.  It is one-dimensional and says very little about the person, in that it cannot distinguish between two students who have the same scores.  Without any other information, a college admissions representative could view both students as essentially equal. 

Youth In Government, in contrast, allows our students to show what they are able to accomplish in the real world.  YIG participants participate in a student-run government system that not only gives them a glimpse into the “grown-up world” of politics, but requires them to think critically, communicate clearly and rationally, and to take responsibility for their decisions and actions.  It is incredible what these young adults are able to accomplish through their own initiative when given the opportunity. 

Don’t mistake me, I am not saying that your 11^th grader shouldn’t take the SAT just because it is limited in its ability to truly distinguish between students.  However, I am suggesting the personal and educational value of experiences such as Youth In Government should not be ignored.  Shannon Forest Christian School has created several opportunities for students to gain experience with the real world which we encapsulate under the heading Shannon Experience.  These include the EXPLORE program for 10^th graders through which they investigate potential careers and participate in an internship program with businesses around Greenville; the PURSUE program during which 11^th graders visit college campuses, talk about potential majors, and discuss their goals and dreams for college; IMPACT and CONNECT which bring our Lower and Upper School students together through community service projects. 

Here at SFCS we want to provide your child with a well-rounded education – one in which they are well-versed in the fundamentals of math, history, English, and science, but also one that has allowed them to become confident, thoughtful, creative, empathetic individuals who can truly impact their communities for Christ.