Bellevue,
03
October
2018
|
03:20 AM
America/Chicago

YOUTH LEADERSHIP EVENT PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 16TH

Student Leaders from More than 37 High Schools across Nebraska and Iowa Will be Recognized and College Scholarships will be Awarded

More than 100 of Nebraska and Iowa’s best and brightest high school students and their families will gather this Sunday, Sept. 16 to celebrate their accomplishments at the 2018 Youth Salute at Bellevue University. The event is sponsored nationally by the National Council on Youth Leadership (NCYL) and locally by the Greater Omaha-Council Bluffs Area Council on Youth Leadership.

Event organizer, Debbie DeBolt, Graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 36 and Corporate Senior Account Manager at Bellevue University, said that student leaders from 37 high schools applied to participate in event. This is the first year that the NCYL has held an event in our area for students from Nebraska and southwestern Iowa, DeBolt said. Next year, students throughout the Omaha Metro and Lincoln area school districts are expected to participate.

“This program is about fostering leadership skills that will allow Nebraska and Iowa youth leaders to continue to achieve and succeed in their future,”said DeBolt. “These outstanding leaders have already made a significant difference in their community and at school, and the Youth Salute program supports them in taking the next step to achieve their goals.”

Students are nominated to participate by teachers, guidance counselors and principals and are then interviewed by school leaders in their hometown, before ultimately being selected to attend the statewide Youth Salute event. Students attending this weekend’s event were selected based on their academic performance, as well as demonstrated leadership in school, church and community organizations.

A “Top Youth Leader” will be named for each high school in attendance, as well as “Youth Leaders of the Year”. A selection committee comprised of local community leaders will interview top candidates and select four student leaders that will receive an all-expense paid scholarship to attend the National Council on Youth Leadership “Town Meeting on Tomorrow” event, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri on Oct. 20-23, 2018.

Participants will attend a leadership seminar presented by Jon Titus, Director of Bellevue University’s College of Continuing and Professional Education, and hear presentations from Bellevue University, Metro Community College and Iowa Western Community College representatives.

Event registration begins at 12:30pm Sunday Morning in the John B. Muller Administration Services Building at 812 Bruin Blvd. in Bellevue.