The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) recently awarded the Suwanee Youth Leaders program a 2015 CREATE Community Award in the category of Educational Excellence. The Suwanee Youth Leaders (SYL) program is an eight-month leadership program for high school sophomores and juniors who attend public, private or home-based schools and live within three Gwinnett County Public School districts.
The program includes structured monthly educational programs, team-building activities and centers on civic involvement, leadership skills and volunteer opportunities.
“The Suwanee Youth Leaders program allows the City to make a genuine commitment to the youth in our community,” said Adam Edge, Downtown & Business Development Manager. “While it’s an honor to win a CREATE Community Award, it’s an even greater reward to see kids becoming invested in their community through this initiative.”
The CREATE Community Awards honors local government and community leadership excellence and innovation in six categories. The category of Educational Excellence recognizes programs or processes that make education a priority in collaboration with city/county policies and practices and educational institutions to affect positive change and quality of life in the community.
Thanks to SYL, says City Assistant Manager Denise Brinson, “We now have a group of young people who have more knowledge of their community and how local government works and the work that goes into building community. The City wanted to develop a real connection with our schools and find a way to meaningfully encourage youth involvement as prescribed in our strategic plan – not just checking a box, but building sincere, authentic relationships.”
For more information on the Suwanee Youth Leaders program, visit suwanee.com
