United Way of Northern Arizona — These Teens Already Stepped Up. YES! Is Helping Them Lead

It’s one thing to help a teen embrace the idea that they could be a leader; it’s something else entirely to support them once they’ve decided to step up and take on new responsibilities.

This spring, UWNA and its partners in the YES! Leadership Program met with students who have already taken those first steps with activities that went beyond the question of are you a leader and focused instead on how will you lead?

Read on to learn about both events and the students that made them happen.

In April and May, YES! partnered with the Grow Arizona Workforce Network to work with Holbrook High School Student Council members on the fundamentals of leadership, including recognizing the strengths they already have and building additional leadership skills.

Students then took what they learned and put it to work in the community.

After identifying a challenge they wanted to tackle, the teens organized a community clean-up day. They handled logistics and developed a marketing campaign to promote the event and attract volunteers.

Fifteen students led the effort on the day of the event, coordinating equipment and organizing the approximately 50 community members who turned out to help (one volunteer said it was among the most organized clean-up events they had ever seen).

In their post-event debrief, the students decided they wanted to continue their efforts. They’ve identified a new community need — weed abatement along Holbrook’s main streets — and have begun planning a follow-up project. They’re also presenting their work to the Holbrook City Council.