YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Youth Leadership Academy Class of 2026 – now open to 7th and 8th grade students!

The Leadership Lake County Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) is designed as a nine-month program for seventh and eighth grade students to learn the basics of goal setting, communication, time management and community service skills. It is a unique opportunity designed to guide students to reach his or her full potential.

The Youth Leadership Academy focuses on skill development as it relates to:

• Leadership
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Goal Setting
• Working with Others
• Communication Skills
• Service in the Community

The Youth Leadership Academy is funded by tuition, corporate sponsorships and grants from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, The Lubrizol Corporation, Lincoln Electric, Western Reserve Junior Service League, and Lake County General Health District.

Tuition Information:  $375 (non-refundable).  Thanks to our community partners, we are able to subsidize a significant portion of the actual program cost per student of $750.  A limited number of partial scholarships will be available to help defray the $375 tuition based on financial need.

 Click here to download the School Approval Form

General Information

• Classes: Meet on the third Sunday in August and the second Tuesday September through April from 8:00 am – 2:30 pm. School absences are considered field experience and are excused absences.
• Participants: Middle school students attending school or residing in Lake County.  We aim to have all schools represented in each program year.  Applications are accepted from sixth and seventh grade students for acceptance into the program for the following academic year.  Class size is limited to 30 individuals.
• Graduation:  Program participants will be recognized at a Graduation reception on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Participants must meet all of the program requirements to be eligible for graduation. They must participate actively and productively during program days, complete the SS Kids Fundraising project, and attend all program days (1 emergency day allowed). 

For more information, contact call 440.290.7933 or gfletcher@leadershiplc.org.

Dates to remember

2026 YLA Dates

August 24                            Opening Retreat 9am-2pm

September 9                        Understanding Leadership

October 7                             Leaders & Followers

November 11                       Communicating as Leaders

December 9                         Turning Conflict into Cooperation

January                               No Meeting

February 10                         Collaboration is Leadership

March 10                             Motivating the Team

April 7                       “Leadership Lake Shake” (morning) and Graduation (lunch)