Teen Leadership Washington County is an annual program for high school juniors that focuses on leadership and personal development, career opportunities, and learning about the community.  The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent, and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator partner to plan and implement monthly meetings to cover topics like financial management, business and industry, agriculture and more.  To help the teens learn more about the inner workings of their community and effective communication, Teen Leadership Local Government and Media Day was held on December 1, 2021.

The day began with a visit to City Hall to speak with the city clerk and Mayor Debbie Wakefield about the city's budget, administrative structure, common issues, and city needs.  We then traveled to the police station to tour the station, learn about services, and discuss emergency protocols with the dispatchers.  Following the station, we visited the courthouse where fiscal court meetings are held to speak with Jude Executive Tim Graves.  Judge Graves talked with the teens about county budget, services that he oversees, working with magistrates, and local needs.  

After lunch, it was time to focus on the media portion of the day.  The editor of the local newspaper, The Springfield Sun, visited the Extension Office to speak about the process of putting a newspaper together, the importance of reporting verified facts, and why she chose journalism as a career.  Our next visitors were students that produce the school news program, WCTV.  The students, including some Teen Leadership alumni, discussed how they work as a team to choose story topics, conduct interviews, edit videos, and develop their skills.  

In an evaluation, we asked the students what they learned.  Their responses included:

• "All the committees that work together to have the town run smoothly"
• "That when making decisions, you have to think about others and not just yourself"
• "The process and steps the dispatcher must take in order to get responders where they are going"
• "Being involved in your school can give you skills and opportunities needed for the future"
• "It is important to ground yourself when you are stressing by going over the 5 sense technique."
• [when asked how the teens will grow as a leader] "By using my power to make good decisions for not only myself but also my community"

The Teen Leadership program will continue to feature these areas of focus to assist the students in developing their community mindsets and communication skills.