Students Taking Active Roles (or STAR) Leadership Training
Community Youth Development Project of Sarasota County
Sarasota County, Florida

Harnessing Youthful Enthusiasm
Students Taking Active Roles in Sarasota County (or STAR) Leadership Training was designed to reconnect youth to their community through training and placement in decisionmaking positions in government and not-for-profit organizations. Created in 2000, STAR is a civic-engagement initiative where youth learn the importance of civic leadership. They lend their enthusiasm and creativity to solving community problems and addressing the disconnected feeling that many young people experience in their community.

STAR Leadership Training empowers high school youth to become community leaders through training and education and encourages both youth and adults to partner as equals throughout the community.

The goals of the program are to:

• Increase leadership skills.
• Increase knowledge of the Sarasota County community.
• Increase knowledge of how government functions.
• Ensure that youth participants become active citizens.
• Ensure that youth participants develop competency as civic leaders.
• Increase the number of youth participating in community leadership.

Teaching Young People To Lead
“STAR allows students to learn the qualities of a good leader and participation as a group member,” a STAR teen says. “This creates knowledge for when they will be placed on a board to be a decisionmaker in the community. STAR allows them to voice their opinions and be heard. With an adult partner, they are able to approach the problems of the community and work together for a solution.”

High school youth who choose to participate in STAR receive extensive training (approx. 60 hours) focused on development of leadership, communication, and group work skills, functions of government, and the specific tools youth need to serve on boards, such as meeting protocol and member responsibilities. Three trainings are offered each year (fall, spring, and summer), and the average training class size is 25 students. Students who complete all training sessions can earn half a credit toward elective requirements. Very few participants have experience in leadership roles in school or community groups before starting the STAR training.

Once trained, a teen may choose to serve in a decisionmaking position as a full and equal voting member on 1 of 68 available boards. Positions are available on county or city government advisory boards, on not-for-profit boards of directors, and on countywide councils focused on law enforcement, education, and positive teen activities. Youth must agree to serve a 1-year term, after which they can decide to return to their position, move to another position, or change tracks entirely. Program leadership opportunities, such as serving as a student trainer, are available to youth who successfully complete training and a year of service.

At the close of 2004, 179 teens had completed the training, and 83 were serving in a decisionmaking position in the community.

Youth as Decisionmakers
“The program is needed because it allows teens to be a part of making the decisions that will affect them,” a STAR teen says. “Since we live here too, we are given the chance to voice our opinions about some of the problems that the community faces.”

In Sarasota County, many teens think that their community does not care about them. Thirty-five percent of Sarasota County’s population is 65 and older, and many services and decisions are focused on the needs and interests of older citizens. Many of these older residents do not have regular contact with young people, and therefore tend to be intimidated by or resentful of teens.

Through the STAR Leadership Training, teens have been able to dispel many stereotypes with their enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to making a difference in their community. By serving on boards with youth, adults have come to value participation by young people, leading to increasing opportunities for youth to serve.

Youth as Partners
There is a 60-hour training period, which is completed over 3 months. Once trained, youth may choose to serve a 1-year term in a leadership role on any of the 68 boards participating in the program. Eighty-five percent of youth who complete the training remain with the program until they graduate from high school.

STAR is among the 100 programs produced annually by the Community Youth Development (CYD) Project of Sarasota County. CYD is a partnership of teens and adults who create positive, drug-free activities for middle and high school youth in Sarasota County. The CYD Program Committee, which oversees all of the CYD programs (including STAR), is composed equally of youth and adults. This group makes decisions regarding funding, policies, and procedures. Youth are involved in every aspect of the program – hiring staff, establishing budgets, fundraising, etc.

Teens make up at least 50 percent of everything connected to the STAR Leadership Training. They are part of the boards and of organizing events, chaperoning, and reporting success or failure. Some youth are student trainers for new classes of the leadership training, which is conducted by one adult and at least three youth. This group designs, implements, and evaluates all aspects of the STAR Leadership Training.

The STAR Leadership Training is organized and offered by youth who have completed the training and have returned to work with CYD staff to recruit and train students and provide ongoing support to youth during their board placements.

Taking Youth Seriously
“We knew we were leaders when we got to really see how our discussions and opinions were taken seriously by the adults we work with,” a STAR teen says. “We got to visit County Commissioner and School Board meetings and really see the adults that make decisions for us in action.”

Youth recognize that they have the ability to make an impact sometime after their training is complete. That’s when students are placed on their boards, all the while meeting on a monthly basis with staff to provide leadership on CYD activities (including STAR) and to receive support as they serve on those boards.

Greater Participation Leads to Greater Insight
“My viewpoint on community problems has changed tremendously since my completion of training,” says one STAR teen. “I now get better insight into what problems the community is facing. I get asked my opinion on how to help solve them, and my efforts and opinions are always appreciated. I do feel like I am able to handle things differently. I know about how to use my resources and about meeting with people and discussing goals. Working on my community service project is a good example of putting to use all of my new leadership skills to solve a community problem.”

Since the inception of the STAR Leadership Training, Sarasota County has increasingly engaged youth in community leadership. County and city governments now require youth participation in newly formed advisory councils and in the evaluation of human services. STAR has provided 255 youth with training, ongoing support, and assistance in their leadership roles as full voting members of not-for-profit boards of directors or as members of city or county advisory boards. In addition, six trainings have been completed for adults working with youth as equal partners.

Seventy-five percent of youth report a significant increase in skills such as communication, leadership, and problem solving; 80 percent demonstrate knowledge of the Sarasota County community and how government functions; 90 percent register to vote upon turning 18, or pre-register at age 17; and, 70 percent of participants believe they can impact their community through involvement in civic life.

Adults who serve on boards with youth benefit as well. They report being inspired by the passion and enthusiasm of the teens and gaining a different perspective on problems from the unique viewpoint teens bring to the discussion. And the community benefits, as new leaders with “fresh eyes” are being cultivated to continue the important work. Youth who feel connected and valued by their community will remain in the community.

What Works
The following ingredients make programs like this one work:

• A champion: An influential community leader who believes in the importance of engaging youth and providing opportunities for them to become more involved in the community. This person can address the concerns of skeptics and problemsolve any issues that may arise when this type of program is instituted at a communitywide level.
• An emphasis on youth-adult partnership: Youth are the best “salespeople” for the program. The lead agency must model youth leadership in order for others to empower and value youth as equal partners.
• Dedicated staff: It is very time consuming to conduct trainings, create and maintain partnerships with agencies, and support youth in their placements. Volunteers can help, but you need a strong staff person to coordinate the program and keep it moving forward.
• Patience: It takes time to develop the relationships and build the trust needed to obtain widespread community support. Start with a small group of youth and work through the inevitable problems that come with initiating a new program.
• Evaluations: Look at what is working and what needs improvement. Don’t be afraid to change!

Spread the Word
Sarasota County is very aware of the STAR Leadership Training. STAR has received good media exposure, with features on local TV and in all of the local newspapers. Adult community leaders serving with STAR students promote the program to others and help to expand the program to new boards and committees.

The CYD Project has worked with communities across the country to replicate the STAR Leadership Training and would be glad to assist other communities interested in starting a STAR program.

Funding
STAR receives funding from Sarasota County and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, as well as donations from businesses and individuals interested in furthering community leadership. CYD recently started an annual fundraising event to benefit the STAR Leadership Training.

Contact
For more information, contact STAR at (941) 922-5126 or info@cydonline.org or visit www.cydonline.org.