A Youth Leadership Academy for Blackford County

Blackford County's economic development office is working to bring a youth leadership program to Blackford County High School, and over the past two weeks the money to launch it has started to come together.

Economic Development Director Warren Brown presented the plan multiple times to municipal leaders this month, from Blackford County leadership to city leadership in both Hartford City and Montpelier. The program, a Youth Leadership Academy, would be run by the Shafer Leadership Academy, based in Muncie. It would run over two semesters and serve sophomores and juniors. Brown said the academy expects to take about 20 to 30 students, who would apply for the spots. He said a teacher at the high school has agreed to help lead it and would receive a stipend similar to what coaches earn.

According to Shafer, students work in small groups to study how groups are led and to practice leading themselves. The core of the program is a real project: each group picks a social issue on its campus or in the community, writes a proposal in the fall for how to address it, then spends the spring carrying out the plan and reporting on the results. Over the school year, students also attend a retreat, group work sessions, and leadership workshops, and finish a group service project. Brown told the Council the Blackford version would be built on this same model.

The program costs about $25,000 a year, or $12,500 per semester. Brown told the Council the same program runs in every Muncie high school and at Tipton High School, and that each school shapes it to fit its own students. He said Blackford County High School's superintendent and principals support bringing it to the district.

Brown said the school has not offered the program to students yet, because the funding is not in place. If the money comes together, he said, students would apply to take part.

Rather than ask one government body to cover the whole cost, Brown is putting the money together from several sources. He asked the County Council to consider funding it in the 2027 budget. He said he was also seeking contributions from the Hartford City and Montpelier Redevelopment Commissions, the county's Economic Development board, and the wind and solar companies working in the county. If other funding was not ready in time, Brown said he would turn to the economic development office itself to get started.

If I can't find any funding at all — I believe so much in this — I'm going to ask economic development to at least foot the bill for this first one.

On July 9, the Hartford City Redevelopment Commission approved a $5,000 contribution toward the program after Brown presented the request.

Council President Jack Beckley voiced support at the July 8 County Council meeting, tying it to what he sees as a gap in the schools' course offerings.

Leadership [education] is, I think, very lacking in our schools. I think it's very important, and I think it should be taught.

The Council asked the Shafer Leadership Academy to present at its August budget workshop, where members will get a closer look before deciding on any 2027 funding.