Today sophomores from across Knox County gathered at Carl Sandburg College in an effort to encourage students in leadership.
The 7th Annual Teen Leadership Summit entitled “Leadership on FLEEK” was sponsored by the Knox County Health Department in collaboration with Knox County Healthy Youth Alliance and GHS North Students.
Around 60 sophomores from Galesburg and Knoxville high schools had their choice of 8 classes taught by community members covering topics teens deal with such as staying safe on social media, dressing for job interviews and team building.
Erin Olson is the health department’s Director of Wellness.
She tells WGIL students were chosen to attend by showing they have the potential to be leaders.
“We want some of those students who know they want to be that leader but just need a little more of a push to get the education in the classes,” Olson says.
Darrien Rodriguez, a Galesburg senior was on the team of students who helped plan the sessions.
He says that there wasn’t any set theme for the schedule of presentations.
“We feel like these are the skills that teams really need during lives and they don’t always get taught by their parents or at school or anything like that,” Rodriguez says.
The keynote address was given by Director of the Knox County YMCA Solutions program, Joey Range.
His talk was entitled, “21 Things I Wish I Would’ve Known at 21”.
Other community members who helped in planning and presenting include Caitlin Chrzanowski of the Knox County Farm Bureau, Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson and Ashley German Cooper of Family Planning Service of Western Illinois.
