FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Leadership Broward is relaunching the Follow the Leader in You (FLY) Program, a free program for eighth graders attending Title 1 Broward County Public Schools. There will be a special focus on recruiting from the Prosperity Broward designated zip codes 33309, 33311, 33313, 33319, 33023 and 33069.
The FLY program was created to reach potential youth leaders to encourage and inspire them to find and follow the leader in themselves. Two critical components of the program include reorienting participants’ self-perception so that they can recognize the leadership qualities they possess and leading participants to recognize and reinforce the leadership qualities they see in each other.
“The goal of the FLY Program is to help develop meaningful qualities and provide these motivated students with important skills that will help them reach their full potential as they continue to grow personally, academically and professionally,” said Ashley Boxer, vice president of external affairs at Broward Health. “Broward Health is proud to partner with Leadership Broward in helping to cultivate the future leaders of our community.”
Over the course of three program days, nearly 100 eighth grade students will participate in the Leadership Broward’s FLY Program. The first program day takes place in a classroom setting with facilitators who will work with students to define leadership, develop emotional intelligence, self-awareness, time management and goal setting. The skills that the students will learn during this day will empower them and prepare them for their High School years.
The second program day involves team building activities, including the Broward College Tigertail Lake Recreation Center ropes course, which offers students extraordinary learning opportunities about risk-taking, performing under pressure, collaboration and support dynamics among team members. On the third program day, the program concludes with leadership training that reinforces what was learned the first two program days, a High School & College Readiness Training by Broward College, a wrap up debrief and leadership intention walk.
“Impactful leaders are made, not born,” said Ellice Martinez, associate vice president, community partnerships and institutional events at Broward College. “Broward College recognizes the significant impact on our community that Leadership Broward has made over the years, and the impact they will have on these eighth-grade students. This program will help these students to define and recognize the leadership qualities they possess and those qualities they see in others.”
The program will begin with an orientation on Tuesday, April 13 and the session schedule includes:
Session One: Saturday, April 17
Session Two: Saturday, May 1
Session Three: Saturday, May 8
Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day. The program will be held in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health & safety guidelines, which includes mask wearing and physical distancing. Face masks will be provided to each student.
“Shutts & Bowen and I are proud to sponsor the next generation of Broward County students and future leaders,” said Jamie Wasserman, a partner in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. “As a graduate of the Leadership Broward program, I know firsthand the impact that programs like this can have on adults. My hope is that together we can mold these students into the leaders we all know they can be.”
The Founding sponsors of the FLY Program include Truist Foundation, Broward Health, Shutts & Bowen and Broward College.
Interested students can apply by visiting leadershipbroward.org/fly. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, March 30, 2021. For more information about Leadership Broward, visit leadershipbroward.org/.
