What is the Leadership Lexington Youth Program?

Our mission is to prepare diverse individuals for leadership through hands-on interaction in our community. LLYP motivates students to think seriously about the role they play in society and how they can affect change on a local and international level.

Through LLYP, students will interact with peers and community leaders, discuss issues facing our community and nation, and develop strategies for growing the next generation of leaders. The program is very active and requires much interaction among participants. We expect students involved to give 110%. 

Program Activities:

• Team-building exercises
• Group and project-based learning
• Tours of local businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits
• Interaction with prominent local leaders
• Etiquette training
• Financial planning and career development
• Reflection
• Leadership challenges

 Eligibility:

The JA Leadership Lexington Youth Program is open to all candidates who meet the following requirements:

• Student is a rising junior (11th-grade status as of August 2023)
• Student currently has a 3.0 GPA or higher (unweighted)
• Student lives and/or goes to school within the boundary of Fayette County

 Application Components:

A complete application will include the following:

• Personal/Contact Info
• Student Background (bio, schools attended, extracurriculars)
• Three (3) Essays
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation

Note: You will need to complete your form in ONE session. Information will not be saved. We advise you to view the questions on the next page, complete them in another document, and copy the answers over to this application once you have compiled all the required components.

 LLYP Selection Schedule:

• Application Available: February 15, 2023
• Application Due: April 15, 2023
• Application Review: April 2023
• Student Interviews: May 2023 - students will be contacted by Junior Achievement with the interview date and time
• Acceptance/regret letters sent out: June 2023
• Acceptance forms/tuition payment ($450) due: July 15, 2023

(Fee covers the cost of charter transportation, lunch and snacks throughout the program year, training and development, and graduation ceremony for students. Need-based scholarships available.) 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Leadership Lexington Youth is a strict time commitment. With the honor and privilege of being selected into the program comes the responsibility to be on time and participate wholeheartedly. 

Parent and Student Orientations are mandatory. One parent/guardian is required to attend the parent/guardian orientation.

Day sessions begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will run until 3:30 p.m. Excused absences will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be submitted for approval with the following documentation:

• Parent or doctor's note
• Completed make-up assignment (outlined in the student handbook)

If a student is going to be absent or tardy, the LLYP Director (ellie@jalexington.org) should be notified immediately. The consequence of missing a session without proper documentation could be dismissal from the program. 

2023-24 Class Schedule

(Tentative)

Orientations:

• Parent/Guardian Orientation - August 29, 2023, 5:30pm
• Student Orientation Day - September 6, 2023

Day Sessions:

• Local Lex Day - October 18, 2023
• Health & Human Services Day - November 8, 2023
• Government & Public Safety Day - December 6, 2023
• Arts & Media Day - January 10, 2024
• Ambassador for Change Day - February 7, 2024
• Higher Education & Career Development Day - March 6, 2024
• Reflection & Graduation - April 10, 2024

TRANSPORTATION

Parents/Guardians will be responsible for getting their student to the start location PROMPTLY at 8 a.m. At the end of the day, parents/guardians will be asked to pick up their child at 3:30 p.m. If a student participant has their driver’s license, they are welcome to drive to the session, however, there may be sessions where it is not possible for students to drive due to parking limitations. Parking instructions will be provided when necessary. 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Throughout the program:

1. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA (unweighted).
2. A high degree of professionalism is expected.
3. Students will adhere to the dress code below.

Dress Code: Students will be interacting with local leaders including city council members, judges, business owners, etc. For this reason, it is crucial that students “dress to impress” for each day session.

Unless otherwise notified, students will wear business casual attire. Examples of business attire are polo shirts and slacks or a blouse or sweater with a skirt or dress pants. Jeans, shorts, leggings, tennis shoes, and other casual attire are strictly prohibited. Skirts must be finger-tip length or longer. We recommend students wear comfortable shoes (flats or low heels) as the program does require movement and walking.

Please take all the requirements into consideration before applying to the program.

CLICK "NEXT" TO VIEW THE APPLICATION:

RECOMMENDATION LETTER GUIDELINES

Submission Requirements:

• Students will submit two (2) letters of recommendation.
• Complete applications with recommendation letters must be submitted by April 15. Letters received past this date may be considered invalid
• Letters must be physically signed, on official letterhead (if possible), and include contact information for verification purposes.
• Letters must be uploaded in pdf format
• Please do not include letters from a relative. Appropriate recommenders include teachers, coaches, mentors, employers, spiritual leaders, community members, business professionals, etc.

Letter Guidelines:

• Address letters to the "LLYP Steering Committee".
• Recommenders should address the following topics when composing their letters:
  • How long have you known this applicant?
  • In what capacity have you interacted with the applicant?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant in terms of his/her community involvement and leadership potential?
  • What would you expect the applicant to contribute to the Leadership Lexington Youth Program?
  • Please provide an example of the student exhibiting one or more of the following traits:
    • Cooperative Attitude
    • Maturity
    • Positive Attitude
    • Sense of Community
    • Leadership Potential
    • Mutual Trust and Respect
    • Conscientiousness
    • Self-motivation
    • Curiosity

Recommendation letters can be given directly to the student to be submitted as a part of the online application. Alternatively, letters can be sent directly to the Program Director, Ellie Lindsey, at ellie@jalexington.org

Please provide the name and relationship to the applicant of each recommender below.

TUITION FEE

This program has a tuition fee of $450 due Monday, July 15th, 2023.

Information regarding the scholarship process

available upon acceptance.

Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass maintains a non-discriminatory policy as an equal opportunity organization to ensure that all participants are treated equally and fairly regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, disability, or national origin.