Chamber announces youth leadership program

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the re-launch of Youth Leadership, now titled Youth Professional Development.

“We are thrilled to have this program up and running again, after a one-year hiatus,” said the Chamber’s executive director Amy Little.  “A lot of thought and energy has gone into this, in particular to make it a positive addition to our student’s education.  Fostering leadership skills in our youth is one of the most important things we can do.”

Initially launched in the fall of 2007 with 17 graduates, the program’s primary mission is to provide students with lifeskills – how to market, how to get in a field or job their passionate about, interviewing and resume building, and budgeting and the importance of good credit.  Similar to the inaugural program, the students come from both Sandpoint High School and Clark Fork to foster communication and synergy amongst area youth and take field trips to gain exposure of varied businesses in the Greater Sandpoint area.  Fifteen students from Sandpoint and fifteen students from Clark Fork are a part of the 2009/2010 class.

Youth Leadership Development began on Oct. 6 with “Enterprise/Being an Entrepreneur” wherein local business owners spoke with students, and their upcoming class on October 30th will be at the Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center to echo what they learned in their previous session.  The program also includes sessions on finance, tourism and customer service, and tours to various businesses.

The program is led the Chamber’s Leadership Sandpoint class’ Vice President Alana Hatcher from Coldwater Creek.  She has coordinated efforts with Sandpoint and Clark Fork High schools, the Leadership Sandpoint class, and businesses to continue the program.

“Although the program is being developed and supported exclusively as a volunteer effort, there are some minimal costs associated with the program to ensure a fully rounded experience for students,” she said.  “We hope your business may be willing to provide a small donation to this worthy cause to promote and fund the continuation in the following years.

The Chamber would like to thank Alana Hatcher for her leadership to bring life back to this needed program and asks businesses to support these efforts.  If interested, a donation of any size is appreciated.

To learn how you can support and for further information, please contact Alana at 265-7067 or email alanahatcher@gmail.com.