2026-2027 Youth Leadership Douglas Application

About Youth Leadership Douglas (YLD)

YLD is a leadership training program grounded in community awareness, community service, and developing your personal potential to lead. Participants will acquire and broaden their knowledge of local government, business, and civic activities through this leadership program.  YLD is highly interactive, which permits participants to review the impact each topic has on them as well as on the larger community. YLD goals are: To provide opportunities for participants to develop an understanding of the meaning and responsibilities of personal, organizational, and community leadership; and to produce ethical leaders committed to active community involvement.

Who Can Participate

Current Juniors from any Douglas County high school (public, private and homeschool) are eligible to apply. The Youth Leadership Douglas Program will take place during junior year. The YLD Co-Chairs will then interview these students. The application and interview process are coordinated at the school level in cooperation with the Chamber.

Program Format

A five-month program running in the Fall of 2026 and end in the Spring of 2027 with monthly meetings. A mandatory orientation and an all-day retreat will take place prior to the first session.

Expectations

100 % attendance is mandatory. If a student cannot commit to attending ALL the meetings, application is not encouraged. A portion of YLD classes will be held during school hours, and the DCSS principals have allowed this to be an excused absence. YLD students must coordinate transportation to and from YLD classes. All program communication is done electronically. Each student is required to set up an email account and join the Remind text messaging program to maintain correspondence with the group. Communication regarding the program must be done through the student, not the student's parent/guardian.

Program Fee

Up to 20 Douglas County School System students are eligible to participate at no fee. For Private/Homeschool students the fee to participate in the program is $150.00 due upon acceptance. Tuition includes the full-day retreat and all class expenses. Partial scholarships are available with a written request for funding detailing the reason for financial need.

Class Structure

YLD classes will be structured using a point system. A total of 50 points is required to graduate from YLD. 30 of the 50 points are mandatory and predetermined below. The remaining 20 points are accumulated based on each student’s individual interests. These points are compiled outside of mandatory class time and must be completed before the end of their session. If a student has a suggestion for an additional activity, it can be submitted in writing to the YLD admin team for approval.

Fall 2026- Spring 2027 Youth Leadership Douglas Calendar

Orientation - October 2026 Retreat - October 2026 Class 1 - November 2026 Class 2 - December 2026 Class 3 - January 2027 Class 4 - February 2027 Class 5 - March 2027 YLD Graduation - TBD

DEADLINE

Applications must be submitted by Friday, September 25th, 2026

Name

First Name *

Last Name *

Which high school are you currently attending? *

What is your current Grade Level? *

What is your current GPA on a 4.0 Scale? *

What is your home address?

Address Line 1 *

Address Line 2

City *

Zip/Postal Code *

Please enter Student's Phone Number and Personal Email *

(Student must have a personal email address; if you do not, please create one. All YLD correspondence is through email.)

Please enter the student's date of birth. *

mm/dd/yyyy

If you said yes to having a part -time job, where do you currently work. If no please type N/A. *

II. School Involvement

(Attach additional pages as needed.)

Organization 1 *

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

Organization 2

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

Organization 3

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

Honors/Awards *

Are there any honors, important contributions, achievements, or recognitions in any of the above organizations that you consider significant, and what was your role in the accomplishment?

Why are you interested in this career? What do you hope to do? *

IV. COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEEER INVOLVEMENT

(Attach additional pages as needed.) Include community/religious organizations, clubs, sports, and activities you are involved in:

Organization 1 *

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

Organization 2

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

Organization 3

Please input the organization's name, time in the organization, positions held in the organization, and describe personal responsibilities.

V. Please select one of the following essays to complete.

1. Whom in your community or school do you most admire? Why? 2. Please list two personal accomplishments of which you are most proud and tell why. 3. What are your expectations for Youth Leadership Douglas? What do you expect to gain from this program?

Upload Essay Here