The Leadership Community
Agents of change in civic life
The Leadership Community (TLC) is a two year community where students share an interest in making a difference in society by combining their civic and leadership skills to serve the public good. Students learn to be agents of change in civic life. Civic agency is defined as acquiring deep knowledge of community life; developing civic skills relative to planning, communication, solving problems, and assessing the effectiveness of civic efforts; and becoming competent and confident citizens who value collaborative team work in addressing social issues.
Students share their academic and co-curricular experience in a residential setting. They create a team spirit through effectively applying their collective skills in campus and community arenas. Most important, TLC students build supportive relationships among their peers as well as faculty members and staff. They gather valuable experience that will help them prepare to move confidently into their post-graduate years as dedicated American and global citizens.
TLC students play an important role on campus by helping direct the American Democracy Project, a national program dedicated to increasing young adult involvement in public policy and political activism. The students are also engaged in the wider community through mentoring younger students through a newspaper literacy program. In 2008, the community piloted and promoted the Peace Corps Correspondence Match Program in the Baldwin County public schools. Currently, TLC students are working with Youth Enrichment Services of Baldwin County (YES) high school students by introducing Public Achievement, a youth civic engagement initiative focused on the most basic concepts of citizenship, democracy and public work.
Rachel Stephens (right) was chosen to participate in the 2009 Congressional Black Caucus Summer Internship Program. She worked for Congressman David Scott (D-GA) in his Washington, D.C. office. Pictured below are Leadership Community students and their tenth grade Public Achievement cohort.
The Peace Corps Correspondence Match Program and Public Achievement , both of which The Leadership Community introduced to Baldwin County schools resulted in the High Achievers/YES after school program being invited to the Peace Corps Lillian Carter Award Ceremony on May 13, 2009. The High Achievers participated in an essay contest where they reflected on the value of public service. Pictured below is Willie Pearson and his mother, Jackie Pearson Toombs. Willie won the contest and was invited to read a portion of his essay at the ceremony, the first adolescent to ever speak at the Lillian Carter Award. He was joined by a forty-person delegation of his peers and adult "champions."
