A Chance to Serve Program (ACTS) graduates and Hamilton Heights freshmen Izzy Koss and Grant Forrer joined the Cicero Kiwanis Club to grow their leadership skills and serve their community. Koss and Forrer were among this year’s participants in this community youth leadership program that places youth on local boards and committees after participating in a series of five day-long leadership training sessions.
Purdue Extension Hamilton County partners with local community leaders to provide an opportunity for the youth voice to be heard on boards and committees. Each year 30 freshmen from three high schools participate in sessions covering leadership topics such as communication and consensus building. At the end of the program, participants are selected to serve on a youth serving board in their local community such as the YMCA, Youth as Resources, high school foundation boards and local hospital boards. An adult community leader from the board or committee also participates in the five training sessions and serves as the youth’s mentor during the board or committee term.
The sessions are hands-on, interactive activities that use the experiential learning model by having the youth engaged in experiencing new life skills and processing how they can apply the activity or skill to real life. The goal of the program is to help the participants recognize their strengths, the strengths of others, develop a greater understanding of their community, servant leadership and the value of philanthropy.
Keith Ecker, a member of the Cicero Kiwanis and Hamilton Heights School Corporation Data Coach, participated as an adult mentor in the program this year and was responsible for bringing in two Heights ACTS participants to the Cicero Kiwanis Club. Ecker said he was very impressed with how well the students were prepared and their eagerness to be an active member.
Cicero Kiwanis President Robin Mills said it has been exciting to have Koss and Forrer serving on the board, a first for the club to have ACTS participants on the board.
“Not only are these students learning about the Kiwanis International Organization and Cicero Kiwanis Club, they are learning a variety of valuable leadership skills,” Mills said. “For the club, they bring with them fresh ideas and specialty skills. Izzy is using her tech skills in creating and helping with social media outreach. In addition, she has set up a survey for our use.”
“I am enjoying working with the Cicero Kiwanis knowing all of the work they do for the people of our community,” said Izzy Koss, whose favorite subjects are math and science.
Koss, who is hoping to pursue a career in astronomy, feels the board will help her expand her knowledge of event planning, problem solving and helping the board expand its horizons.
Grant Forrer said he is very excited to be serving with Kiwanis.
“What I hope to learn from my time serving on the Kiwanis board is how a board runs,” said Forrer, who is a member of the Hamilton Heights Swim Team and BPA Club. “I am also learning a little more about the role of the Kiwanis in our community as a whole.”