A total of 17 Morgan Hill teenagers took part in a youth
leadership training program this week that covered areas such as
learning about the inner workings of local government, learning to
lead, leadership styles and an
”
ethics and assets
”
session led by Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate.
Morgan Hill – A total of 17 Morgan Hill teenagers took part in a youth leadership training program this week that covered areas such as learning about the inner workings of local government, learning to lead, leadership styles and an “ethics and assets” session led by Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate.
The program spanned three days at the Centennial Recreation Center and the Morgan Hill Unified School District. Teens ages 13-18 participated in three half-day training sessions Monday through Wednesday.
Tate spoke about what the city does to implement policy, the subjective nature of good and evil, and the Cornerstone Project, a YMCA program that details a variety of developmental assets that help young people succeed.
“The whole nature of ethics and why it’s such an intriguing field is because it is based on your subjective values,” Tate told the teens. Tate also said that psychologist and former human resources executive David Gerard, facilitator of Leadership Morgan Hill (the city’s adult leadership program), addressed the teens as well and spoke about embracing diversity and taking advantage of diversity while practicing leadership skills.
According to 17-year-old Samantha Bondi, chair of the Youth Leadership Morgan Hill program and a Youth Advisory Committee member, the first day focused on local government and leadership skills, the second day on building personal skills, such as stress management and healthy living, while the third day included a field trip to bio-tech lab Anaerobe Systems in Morgan Hill for a tour to “see how a business is run.”
Participating students put in an application and paid a $30-tuition fee which covered meals. All the speakers volunteered their time.
“We’re showing them what they can do as leaders now (in the Youth Advisory Commission), and what they can do in the future,” said Eondi, a recent graduate of Sobrato High. “Because in order to have a bright future, you have to see where you want to go.”
