Leadership High School gets $1,500 grant from PPL Montana

Havre Area Chamber of Commerce

The Havre Area Chamber of Commerce's Leadership High School program has received $1,500 from PPL Montana's Public Relations Director Lisa Perry.

"We have long believed that the best way to ensure a bright future for our community is to make an investment in our youth, thus, the partnership we developed with Havre Public Schools, 15 years ago. The Chamber's sponsorship and involvement in the program sends a two-fold message, which is our commitment to the community and our youth by providing the students with a solid background in civics, while increasing their knowledge about the many facets of life in Havre and the need for them to get involved, now," said Debbie Vandeberg, the Chamber's executive director.

"Leadership High School was a very influential experience. The things I learned in Leadership will follow me onto college and onto my future career. Thanks for the experience. I heard about what it takes to be a leader, be an influence in my community, and succeed in a job," are just a few of the comments from Leadership students, Vandeberg said.

Leadership High School is a leadership/educational program designed to nurture and enhance the skills of students from this community who wish to become involved in impacting the future, she said.

Leadership High School is designed to expose young people to the various elements that interact to form a strong economy and a dynamic community, Vandeberg said.

The students gain insight to the complex decision-making process which occurs within community and business leadership. Students are provided tools and skills to make a difference today and throughout their lives.

A goal of the Leadership program is to instill a sense of community in order to motivate participants into leadership roles, she said. The Leadership High School program exposes the students to many different careers available to them, and the educational path that is needed to fulfill those careers.

The program also works toward better preparing youth for future employment and to provide them with ethics skills and communication skills that are needed to participate in a healthy community, she said.