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INDIANAPOLIS — At the Center for Leadership Development, they believe it’s never too early to learn the skills needed to succeed.
“We are here to develop the next generation of professional, business, and community leaders,” Joshua Webb, the program coordinator at the center, said.
Fourth-graders to seniors in high school are learning skills and techniques necessary for college and career success.
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“We know a lot of our students, a lot of the students that we serve, aren’t getting the resources that they need, aren’t getting the opportunities, and the experience, and the guidance and the exposure and all of that," Webb said. "So even our fourth-graders in our Junior Self-Discovery are exposed to character development, educational excellence, leadership effectiveness, community service, and career achievement. Our principles for success.”
High school students are learning similar techniques in Paula Glover’s Self-Discovery/Career Exploration project.
“Last week we learned about working with people,” Blessing Akinniraye, a sophomore at Pike High School, said. “At first I complained, I’m not going to lie. But then I got used to the idea that you have to develop your own idea and we have to talk with each other.”
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It goes beyond learning how to work alongside new teammates. They also learn things like dressing for success, and how to be an effective interviewer.
“I can see how impactful it is for our students to be able to practice being assertive, to be exposed to the world of business, to create your own mock business plan even as a high schooler and begin to figure out what kind of career path you want to follow,” Webb said.
A career path, and goals, Akinniraye has already set her sights on and is feeling confident she can achieve.
“I want to see myself making six figures, and I want to open up my own hospital,” Akinniraye said.
The Center for Leadership Development is located in Indianapolis but welcomes students from all over central Indiana.
It also boasts alumni that now works in law enforcement, education, medicine, religion, and more.
