Members of the 2018–2019 Limestone LEAD youth leadership program enjoy kayaking at Joe Wheeler State Park as a team-building exercise at the start of the school year.

High school sophomores and juniors interested in the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce’s youth leadership program now have until July 5 to apply, an official announced Wednesday.

Limestone Leaders Encouraging A Difference, or Limestone LEAD, is a way for students to learn about a variety of locally relevant topics, including industry and government. The program is open to students who live in Limestone County and attend public, private or home school.

“It was designed to build leadership skills with exceptional 10th and 11th grade students,” said Brooke Norton, program and events coordinator for the Chamber. “… Using a combination of presentations, workshops and field trips, we introduce these different fields and what’s going on locally. Students get to meet leaders in those fields. It’s educational and super-fun.”

Chosen students meet on the second Tuesday of each month to focus on a new topic. Topics include health care, local and state government, business and industry, agriculture and even education.

Norton said the first meeting is generally a team-building day. Last year, students got to go to Joe Wheeler State Park for kayaking, a rock wall and more. Norton said some of the students weren’t even aware they went to school together until they met at the team-building day.

Last year also saw the largest number yet of applicants and acceptances.

“We hope this year will be even better, and we’ll continue getting to keep growing and getting great students in the program,” Norton said.

Applications can be picked up at the Chamber office at 101 S. Beaty St., Athens. Students can also email Norton at brooke@tourathens.com for a copy.

She emphasized the ideal candidate might not be the conventional one.

“We want a little bit of everybody,” Norton said. “We’d love to have some who are top of their class, and we’d love to have students who could benefit and maybe haven’t found their niche yet.”

The selection process starts with an application that includes any work history or school activities and accomplishments the student may have, as well as two personal references and an essay. The essay must be 250 words or less and answer the question, “If you had the opportunity to speak with leaders in our community, what would you say and why?”

“You’ll have all kinds of things,” Norton said of past essay answers. “You’ll have people who print it and have it very formal, you have people who might write a few things down, and you’ll have people who draw out diagrams for what they want where in their community.”

She said those involved in selecting students learn a lot through the application process, but they also learn a great deal through the interview that follows. There are usually three interviewers, Norton said, and they try to keep it conversational while also making it like a job interview.

The most important part of the process, though, is that a student show the initiative required of a potential leader.

“It’s a leadership program,” Norton said, “so we’d like for them to go about it on their own. … We give them the information, but it’s up to the student to take the initiative, pick up the application and return it. Many of them do, and that’s wonderful.”

Those who get chosen find themselves benefiting in sometimes surprising ways.

“We allow them to give their testimonial at the LEAD graduation at the end of the year,” Norton said. “It’s really something for them to stand up and say they met so many great friends through this program or, ‘I didn’t know this job was available,’ or, ‘I couldn’t have stood up and given a speech before this program.'”

For more information on Limestone LEAD, call 256-232-2600.