Faces, fashions and phone rules have changed during the 20-year span of the Lafayette Junior Leadership (LJL) program. But the strong enthusiasm of student and adult participants has remained consistent well into the 21st century.
The program marked its 20-year anniversary celebration this week during an awards banquet for the outgoing class of 2010-11. The celebration continues next week with a welcome reception for the incoming Leadership class of 2011-12.
More than 40 teens were officially "graduated" on May 5 by the current programming team of Dr. F. Jay Culotta, Dr. Mary Neiheisal and Melanie Martin. Culotta also received recognition presented by Carlee Alm-Labar, Chairwoman for the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, for serving as the Junior Leadership program's founder and director for 20 years.
Following his graduation in 1990 from Leadership Lafayette Class 4, Culotta was inspired to launch the Lafayette Junior Leadership program. His Leadership Lafayette colleagues, such as Paul Favaron, Nancy Mount and Father Louis Richard, offered encouragement for the idea. They modeled the Junior version after the adult program sponsored by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.
Since the beginning, Culotta was also aided by public, private and post-secondary schools. Local government and private businesses like Coca-Cola Bottling, IberiaBank, Acadian Ambulance and Lafayette General Medical Center have been long-time supporters.
"I like to think the LJL program helped participants to become better citizens along the way," observed F. Jay Culotta, Jr. Since 1990, more than 800 high school students have participated in the prestigious LJL program, which promotes the theme of "Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Today."
It seems to work. Graduates of the LJL program have progressed into business and civic leadership roles in Lafayette and beyond. Junior program alumni like Katherine McCormick, Community Relations Director for the Moody Foundation, took the Junior Leadership experience to higher levels when she served as a board member for the Leadership Institute of Acadiana (LIA).
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"As teenagers, we're trying to plan our futures," said Katherine Durel, an LJL student spokesperson at the banquet. "Through Lafayette Junior Leadership, we were able to see and learn new things that we may want to pursue as a career."
Durel added that new friendships also emerged during the program, and even a few prom dates.
The Junior program format has remained basically the same throughout the years by blending hands-on activities with presentations at various sites. Constants like the UL Primate Research Center and parish prison remain eye-opening annual highlights. But some topics have changed in the 21st century to showcase Lafayette's newest attributes such as the LITE Center and the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
"Experiencing a variety of industries and issues in the community is an eye-opening opportunity for Leadership program participants," comments Culotta. He adds that going to different program locations each month helps the participants to gain a broad understanding of how the community functions from a hands-on perspective.
Martin, another Leadership Lafayette alumnus, has assisted Culotta for over a decade. Martin's role as curriculum coordinator includes planning and scheduling activities, speakers and chaperones for monthly sessions. Culotta credits Martin's energy and connections in the community to creating educational and fun experiences for the participants.
Students learn about the LJL program through announcements at their high schools. Public and private school students are invited to submit applications, which are reviewed and scored by a program selection committee. The applications help to determine the students' interests, academic ability, and leadership potential. A participation fee is also assessed from those accepted into the program.
"We continue to have more applicants each year than ever before," says Culotta. The result is a highly competitive selection process.
Behind the scenes, operations of the Junior Leadership class of 2010-11 were merged with the adult Leadership Lafayette program and Leadership Lafayette Alumni Association. The merger occurred through the new umbrella organization known as LIA. The LIA was launched as a regional not-for-profit organization in 2010. The goal of LIA is greater interaction between various leadership programs to support continued growth of community leadership and responsible citizenship.
With only a few days between the Junior classes, Culotta and his colleagues will keep the program rolling through the new LIA connection. And as the 20th anniversary graduates pass the program torch to the incoming 2011-2012 participants this week, the future of leadership in Lafayette appears ready, willing and more connected than ever to make a positive impact in the community.
"As teenagers, we're trying to plan our futures," said Katherine Durel, an LJL student spokesperson at the banquet. "Through Lafayette Junior Leadership, we were able to see and learn new things that we may want to pursue as a career."
Durel added that new friendships also emerged during the program, and even a few prom dates.
The Junior program format has remained basically the same throughout the years by blending hands-on activities with presentations at various sites. Constants like the UL Primate Research Center and parish prison remain eye-opening annual highlights. But some topics have changed in the 21st century to showcase Lafayette's newest attributes such as the LITE Center and the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
"Experiencing a variety of industries and issues in the community is an eye-opening opportunity for Leadership program participants," comments Culotta. He adds that going to different program locations each month helps the participants to gain a broad understanding of how the community functions from a hands-on perspective.
Martin, another Leadership Lafayette alumnus, has assisted Culotta for over a decade. Martin's role as curriculum coordinator includes planning and scheduling activities, speakers and chaperones for monthly sessions. Culotta credits Martin's energy and connections in the community to creating educational and fun experiences for the participants.
Students learn about the LJL program through announcements at their high schools. Public and private school students are invited to submit applications, which are reviewed and scored by a program selection committee. The applications help to determine the students' interests, academic ability, and leadership potential. A participation fee is also assessed from those accepted into the program.
"We continue to have more applicants each year than ever before," says Culotta. The result is a highly competitive selection process.
Behind the scenes, operations of the Junior Leadership class of 2010-11 were merged with the adult Leadership Lafayette program and Leadership Lafayette Alumni Association. The merger occurred through the new umbrella organization known as LIA. The LIA was launched as a regional not-for-profit organization in 2010. The goal of LIA is greater interaction between various leadership programs to support continued growth of community leadership and responsible citizenship.
With only a few days between the Junior classes, Culotta and his colleagues will keep the program rolling through the new LIA connection. And as the 20th anniversary graduates pass the program torch to the incoming 2011-2012 participants this week, the future of leadership in Lafayette appears ready, willing and more connected than ever to make a positive impact in the community.
