The Youth As Leaders program is a 3-year leadership program run by the Schoharie County Youth Bureau for high school students. In the program, sophomores learn leadership skills based on "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens", juniors complete service learning projects, and seniors facilitate lessons for younger students. The proposal seeks funding to expand the program under a grant, targeting grades 7-12. If funded, the expanded program would include character development for middle schoolers, more service opportunities, and facilitation training for upperclassmen. Meetings would focus on leadership lessons, service projects, team building, and an adventure trip over an 18 meeting school year.

1. Youth As Leaders Program
Proposal for the 21st
Century Community Learning Grant

2. Schoharie County Youth Bureau
The Schoharie County Youth Bureau was established through the Office of Youth
Development, which is under the umbrella of the New York State Office of Children and
Family Services. We are a county agency tasked with providing positive youth
development opportunities for the youth of Schoharie County. We accomplish our task
by providing direct programming for youth, allocating state funds to other youth serving
agencies, and collaborating with other agencies and organizations to increase
opportunities for youth.
Vision
That Schoharie County is a safe, engaging place for all youth to grow, learn, and develop
into happy, healthy, and productive adults.
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Schoharie County Youth Bureau to promote and advocate for
the empowerment and well being of the youth of Schoharie County through the
incorporation of Positive Youth Development methods in our direct and supportive
programs and services.
Youth As Leaders Program
The Youth As leaders program is a leadership program that the Schoharie County Youth
Bureau currently runs for high school students from 5 of our county high schools. The
program is for 10th
, 11th
, and 12th
graders. They are selected in the end of the freshman
year to participate in the 3 year program. We typically have between 5 and 10 students
from each school selected and currently have approximately 80 students in the
program. We utilize both experiential learning and adventure based counseling as the
core educational tools to teach the leadership skills.
The program is broken down into 3 interconnected parts. The sophomore year consist
of learning leadership skills based on the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”
by Sean Covey. We meet with the sophomore class 7 times during the school year. In
each class we teach a leadership skill based on one of the habits. Teaching the
leadership skills is only the beginning. After their sophomore year we provide
opportunities for our students to put their leadership skills into practice. This is
accomplished in two ways. Their entire junior year is dedicated to service learning
projects. Each month that we meet we have a service project for them to complete.
They arrive in the morning and we give them the overview of what needs to be done
and why it needs to be done. Then we turn the project over to them. They must use

3. their leadership skills to complete the project. Their senior year is dedicated to
facilitating the leadership skills they have learned in the program to the sophomore
class. We teach the seniors with the facilitation skills and everyone has the opportunity
to facilitate.
We have been running the program for 8 years. The program was originally designed to
be only for 1 year for 10th
graders selected to be in the program, but because of the
success of that first year the program was continued and has expanded to a 3 year
program It has grown to the point where we have are largest sophomore class to date.
We work very closely with the 5 high schools that participate in the program.
Outcomes for Youth As Leaders Program
Short Term
Students will have an opportunity to be a part of a safe and caring environment.
Sense of belonging
Positive peer and adult relationships
Will Learn that leadership is for everyone
Will receive real life experiences
Medium Term
Students will learn leadership skills that will help them navigate adolescents
o Improve their school experience
o Connect them to their community
o Provide opportunities to improve positive family relationship
Long Term
Students will learn the skills needed to become happy and productive adults.
Students will gain the skills and experiences that will help prepare them for
college and/ or entering the work force.
Students will carry with them into adulthood the importance of community and
civic responsibility

4. The Youth As Leaders component to the Schoharie River Center’s Proposal
I can take the existing Youth As Leaders Model and easily modify the program to work
under the requirements of the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers Grant as the
Youth As Leaders program matches up very well with the objectives of the grant. The
Youth As Leaders program I am proposing is a hybrid of the current Youth As Leaders
program. The program is expandable and can grow to meet the needs of the students
involved and provide a varied and unique experience from year to year. Please refer to
the section on future growth.
Youth As Leaders Program (pilot program)
The program will target 9th
through 12th
grades
There will be 18 meetings though out the school year
We will meet 2-3 times a month from September through May
Meetings will range from 2 to 3 hours each with exception of Saturdays (4-8 hours)
The meetings will consist of:
o The 1st
meeting will be introduction to the program and icebreaking activities
o 7 meetings focusing on the leadership habits from the book” The 7 habits of
Highly Effective Teens”
o 4 meetings dedicated to two service learning projects
o 2 meetings will be low/ high rope teambuilding activities
o 2 meetings will be on review/ debriefing, one ½ way point of program and
the other at the end of the program
o 1 meeting will be an outdoor adventure trip
o 2 meetings will tentatively be scheduled as make up days
Future Growth of the program
Each year we are able to run the Youth As Leaders program under the 21st
Century
Community Learning Centers Grant
Character Development
Grades 7th
& 8th
This part of the program is not currently being offered in the Youth As
Leaders program that the Youth Bureau is running. It is in my plan to expand
the current program into middle school.
The Character Development program is a precursor to the Leadership
program.

5. Expanded Service Learning
Provide additional service opportunities for those students who have gone
through the leadership program already.
Facilitation Skill Building
Train the 11th
& 12th
graders facilitation skills so they can facilitate the
leadership skills they already have learned to the younger students in the
program.
Summer Retreat/ Leadership Camp
Provide a 2 to 3 day leadership retreat for students in the Leadership
Program during the summer months
Budget For Pilot Program
Staff 160 staff hours @ $28.00 per hour $4,816.00
Staff 40 staff hours @ $25.00 per hour $1,000.00
Transportation Bus rental (estimate) $450.00
Van use $.55 per mile x 150 miles $82.50
7 Habits Book 40 books @ $15.00 per book $600.00
Team Building Supplies Miscellaneous $100.00
Office Supplies Miscellaneous $100.00
Program cost Ropes Course Clarks Sport’s Center $200.00
Adventure Trip $100.00
Total: $7,448.50

6. Sample Schedule
September
Meeting 1: Introduction to program/ Icebreakers
Meeting 2: Leadership Lesson: Habit 1 “Be Proactive”
October
Meeting 3: Leadership Lesson: Habit 2 “Begin with the End in Mind”
Meeting 4: Preparation for Service Learning Project
Meeting 5: Service Learning Project
November
Meeting 6: Leadership Lesson: Habit 3 “Put 1st
Things 1st
”
Meeting 7: Teambuilding/ Low Ropes Activities
December
Meeting 8: Review/ Debrief 1st
half of the year
Meeting: Make up day if needed
January
Meeting 9: Leadership Lesson: Habit 4 “Think Win Win”
Meeting 10: Leadership Lesson: Habit 5 “Seek 1st
to Understand, Then be Understood”
February
Meeting 11: Leadership Lesson: Habit 6 “Synergize”
Meeting 12: Service Learning Project Prep
March
Meeting 13: Service Learning Project
Meeting 14: Review/ Debrief Habits 4, 5, &6
April
Meeting 15: Teambuilding/ High Ropes Course
Meeting 16: Leadership Lesson: Habit 7 “Sharpen the Saw”
May
Meeting 17: Adventure Trip: TBD
Meeting 18: Closing/ Final Debrief