The Highland County Community Action Organization (HCCAO) recently completed the second year of I am a Child of Highland County Youth Leadership Academy. This program provided monthly leadership education to Highland County High School students.

Three county schools participated this year — Whiteoak High School, Hillsboro High School and McClain High School. Students were able to attend government meetings, meet with local and state elected officials, tour businesses, explore nature, and visit historic and meaningful sites around the county. An activity was planned for each month of the school year starting Dec. 1, and focused on business, leadership, education and what makes Highland County such a special place to live and work.

Ten students and three adults participated from the schools plus one HCCAO leadership coordinator. The students were chosen by their teachers and staff as students who display leadership skills, but may be limited on extra-curricular activity participation for various reasons.

Twenty-one businesses, elected officials, local area governments and county agencies participated in the project. This year there were six events: Small Communities Day, Government Day, Business and Social Services Day, Hillsboro City Day & Faith Based Community Day, Natural Resources & Mennonite Community Day, and May was Community Services Day.

In May, students joined forces with McClain High School for MHS Day, a Greenfield community clean-up day.

All students and participating partners would like to see the program continue. HCCAO is working on obtaining funding to continue this program in the next school year. For more information on this program and all others HCCAO offers, call 937-393-3458.

Students involved included from Whiteoak — Kylee Ruark, Conner Wiscaver and Izayah Clift; from Hillsboro — Annie Young, Jaclyn Williams, Kiara Boris and Arianna Evans; and from McClain — Brooke Smallwood Martin, Erica Raypole and Lillian Keller.

Submitted by Tara Campbell, deputy director, HCCAO.