Youth Leadership Academy Kicks Off!

This year's Blackstone Valley Youth Leadership Academy (BVYLA) class includes 25 freshmen and sophomores from BVEF's member school districts.

Megan Potenti, BVYLA Coordinator, shares:

"Kickoff was held on Saturday, November 7 at Riverbend Farm in Uxbridge. We spent the morning getting to know one another and working on both our public speaking and teamwork skills. Students played autograph bingo and spent time interviewing someone they did not know. They then presented what they learned about one another. Additionally we held Team Paper Airplane Competitions and created flags to represent ourselves. Students were also introduced to the parameters of the Community Service project. This year's group is a lively bunch and very inclusive. I look forward to working with them and watching them grow on their leadership journies. While this year will be rather nontraditional, I have high hopes for the sessions we have lined up and the community partners we will be working with. I believe students will be able to learn about and utilize a variety of their leadership skills, as well as learn about different community members and opportunities that lie here in the Valley."

With a challenging six month curriculum, BVYLA seeks to develop the leadership skills of an annual cohort of diverse students. By meeting at different locations in and around the  Blackstone Valley, students learn about the both the rich history in each community as well as the skills necessary to become leaders in their schools, communities, and future workforce.