The information/sites provided below are a compilation of various programs aimed at high school students that provide opportunities to further develop leadership skills. 

Youth Leadership Wake Forest

Youth Leadership Wake Forest is a year-long program for 10th-12th grade students who have demonstrated leadership abilities and have an interest in learning about our community. Our mission is for participants to assume leadership roles in our schools and to become more involved in civic, cultural, economic development, and philanthropic organizations. Youth Leadership Wake Forest requires a community reference. The class is limited to 40 students. Tuition for the year is $500 per student. Tuition includes lunch and snacks, program materials, t-shirts, name badges, journals, rental fees, and facilitator time. There are scholarships available.

Meredith College leadership Conference

Meredith College Leadership Conference is for high school juniors who are interested in developing and sharpening their leadership skills. The Meredith College Office of Student Leadership and Service, in conjunction with the Office of Admissions. Please call the Office of Admissions at 1-800-MEREDITH or e-mail us admissions@meredith.edu with any questions.

FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program

FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program is designed to offer lifelong enrichment opportunities in support of an exceptional young leader’s drive for knowledge and their desire to make a difference in the world. The vision of YLP is to develop an influential community of socially conscious and service-minded leaders, connected through association, who positively shape the world. This program focuses on 8 days of intensive instruction for 62 participants. The highly competitive program is run by a cadre of law enforcement training instructors. Extensive coursework and classroom instruction focus on issues faced by the youth of today and provides tools that can enhance their individual core talents. Each year, students represent over 40 U.S. states and 4 international countries. The Youth Leadership Program is offered to students at no charge. All applicants must be rising High School Sophomores or Juniors between 14–16 years old at the start date of the program. No exceptions. Applicants must demonstrate high academic standards and good citizenship on their initial application to be considered for the interview selection process. Individuals interested in attending the FBINAA Youth Leadership Program must apply through one of the FBINAA’s U.S. or International Chapters. Visit the NC Chapter website HERE.

Distinguished Young Women of Wake County
​Distinguished Young Women of Wake County is part of a national scholarship program that promotes and rewards scholarship, leadership and talent in young women.
Cash scholarships are awarded at the local level and millions in college-granted scholarships are available ($1 billion nationally). And local winners will advance to the state program in Greensboro, NC, where they give away more than $25,600.00 in cash tuition scholarships, and it’s FREE to participate!
YOU CAN:

• Make new friends from around your area
• Participate in workshops on interviewing, public speaking and more
• Have fun putting on a showcase of your achievements
• PLUS help pay for your college education!

You must be a junior in high school to participate. Visit the website HERE for more information. Contact: wake@distinguishedyw.org

Kerr YMCA LEADERS’ Club

Leaders Club is a year-long leadership-development program for high school teens. This program provides teens with extensive leadership training and volunteer opportunities that support YMCA programs and services to the community. In addition to teaching teens leadership through service, Leaders Clubs advisors introduce teens to all the work the Y does to strengthen the community, and inspire and prepare teens to become future Y leaders. The YMCA High School Leaders Club serves teens in grades 9–12. Clubs are hosted and meet at local YMCA branches. If you have a teen interested in Leaders Club, visit our website to stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities. Clubs typically kick off in early fall and wrap up at the end of the school year.

Red Hat Shelton Leadership Challenge 
The Red Hat Shelton Challenge is a six-day, residential program built on the Shelton Leadership Center’s core values, and is designed to help high school students enhance their capacities to become values-based leaders. This immersive program is designed to transform potential into real-world skills through mentorship, self-reflection, and shared discovery.

Tar Heel Girl's State Summer Program

Tar Heel Girls' State (summer program) is to provide citizenship training for rising senior high school girls; to afford them an opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens; and to inform them about the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship in order that they may better understand and participate in the functioning of their government. 

Tar Heel Boy's State Summer Program

Tar Heel Boy's State is a leadership program of action for rising senior high school boys. Participants learn the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county, and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, distinguished guest speakers, and recreational programs. 

NCSU Chancellor’s Leadership Development Program

CLDP engages first-generation college students and/or rural NC students as leaders in professional and personal capacities, empowering them to apply the skills they’ve learned in the program to leadership experiences across campus, within their communities, and in global settings. As a result, students are prepared to serve as exceptional leaders through professional, academic, and personal settings.

Each year, CLDP accepts 20-25 top-performing first-year students into the program as a cohort, resulting in a community of peers on a shared leadership journey. See website for more information.

North Carolina General Assembly Senate Page Program
This program offers young men and women the opportunity to learn about and participate in the legislative process of our state. It is a week-long experience that allows high school students to observe firsthand how our laws are made. It provides them with the unique privilege of working on the Senate Chamber floor in the midst of legislative action.

In order to be a Senate Page, you must:

• Be in tenth, eleventh or twelfth grade
• Be sponsored by a member of the North Carolina Senate (accomplished through the application process described below)
• Be in good academic standing at school
• Have prior approval by the principal of your school if you are appointed to serve as a Page during the school year.

View this site for more information: https://www.ncga.state.nc.us/senate/senatepages​

North Carolina House Page Program
​This program offers young men and women the opportunity to learn about, and participate in, the legislative process of our state. It is a four-day-long experience that allows high school students that are currently in grades ten, eleven, or twelve to observe firsthand how our laws are made. It provides them with the unique privilege of working in the House Chamber in the midst of legislative action.

House Pages are important to the operation of the General Assembly as they assist the members and staff of the House during the legislative session. They participate in daily sessions, committee meetings, and perform other duties including, but not limited to, delivering messages and materials within the legislative complex, completing mailings for members, and passing out documents or running errands in the House Chamber during daily sessions. View this site for more information: https://www.ncleg.net/house/housepagesite/
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The North Carolina Governor's Page Program 
​Founded in 1973, the Governor’s Page Program gives North Carolina high school students the opportunity for hands-on participation in state government. Hosted by VolunteerNC in Raleigh, pages will grow in four areas: history, civics, service, and professional development. Eligible participants are high school students or recent high school graduates in good academic standing. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. For more information please visit the following website: http://governor.nc.gov/citizen-services/governors-page-program

Note in the Pocket - Teen Board 
Local high school students from the Triangle volunteer their time on the Teen Board to support Note in the Pocket’s mission. Our Teen Board leaders complete a variety of projects to gain hands-on leadership development experience. 

The purpose of the Teen Board is to:

• Encourage students who have a passion and heart for serving to become more active in local community service.
• Develop community leaders.
• Support Note in the Pocket’s mission and program to meet the needs of Wake and Durham County students.

Teen Board members will be expected to volunteer a minimum of 10 hours over the summer (June-August) and host a summer clothing drive. The Teen Board hosts monthly required meetings (Sept-May) at our Volunteer Center in Raleigh. For more details, visit the website.
Please contact us teenboard@noteinthepocket.org.

Triangle Youth Leadership Services
Triangle Youth Leadership Services holds a two-day leadership conference led by NCSU Park Scholars - a very elite student group at NCSU. Here is an overview of the conference from the TYL website: 
"We bring students across the state together to engage challenges facing North Carolina communities.  For several years, we’ve paired dozens of student volunteers at North Carolina State University with hundreds of high school students from across the state in annual conferences. Our two-day curriculum places participants in teams to problem-solve real-life community challenges through a design-thinking lens informed by workshops and speakers trained to hone their creative potential. At the end of the event, they deliver a concrete solution that they, even as high school students, can pursue. Visit the website for more details.

HOBY Youth Leadership Programs

At HOBY, our leadership development programs ensure that students gain awareness of themselves and others, practice and apply newly learned skills, and leave feeling empowered to make a positive impact on the world around them. With authenticity, connection, and growth at the core of our programming, our student ambassadors learn what it means to be an aware and engaged community member. See all the programs on the website for more details. Visit the student information page HERE.

NC Youth Legislative Assembly 
​In April of each year, the Legislative Services Offices under the NC General Assembly will host the annual Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA). It teaches high school students about the laws governing North Carolina’s citizens as well as the lawmaking process. Students draft, debate and vote on mock legislative bills while developing skills in research, interviewing, group facilitation and policy writing. As the bills are debated, the students get a chance to practice communicating their ideas, opinions and experiences in a team-building environment. At the conclusion of the three-day program, the participants have a better understanding of the lawmaking process as well as enhanced written and oral communication skills. Students must apply and be accepted in order to attend. For more information, visit their website.
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​Bank of America Student Leaders 
​On the Bank of America Website they provide the following information:
Every year, through our Student Leaders program, we help connect 225 community-minded high school juniors and seniors to employment, skills development and service. They’re awarded paid summer internships with local nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity and Boys and Girls Clubs of America and participate in a national leadership summit in Washington, D.C. Student Leaders is part of our ongoing commitment to preparing young people for a brighter future. If you or someone you know has a passion for improving the community, click here to learn more about our eligibility criteria. Students selected to participate in the Student Leaders Program must commit to working 8 weeks/35 hours a week for a non-profit during the summer. During the eighth week, students will attend an all-expense paid trip to the week-long "Student Leaders Summit in Washington D.C."  During the Student Leaders Summit, participants will have an opportunity to connect with like-minded students from across the country, meet with elected officials in Washington, and network with key individuals from Bank of America.
Below are a few criteria that would help an applicant stand out among all the applications we receive.

• Diversity of thought and perspective
• We value depth of service over quantity.
• Emphasis on overcoming challenges or students who wouldn't normally get this type of opportunity

This eight-week PAID internship will expose students to key leaders in the Triangle community as well as national speakers. Each Student Leader will have a local Bank of America employee as a mentor. The students will also interact with over 300 students from across the country and learn the importance of collaboration between the private, public and government sector.  Students are required to complete an application and submit a recommendation letter from a teacher. The application and more details about the program can be found at www.bankofamerica.com/studentleaders.

The Beautiful Project
The Beautiful Project, Inc. The Beautiful Project (TBP) is a community-based arts organization in Durham, North Carolina that uses storytelling and visual arts to advance the healing and representational justice of black girls, gender-expansive youth, and women. TBP teaches black girls and gender-expansive youth how to use their voice and power at the intersection of images, stories, and justice to advocate for their wellness and recognition by providing free access to arts education and applied training, youth-led storytelling, and holistic community care. Applications for our Arts & Activism Youth Apprenticeship Program are available on our website for students ages 14-18 living in the Triangle. This year-long apprenticeship provides an opportunity for black girls and gender-expansive creatives who are interested in using art and storytelling to advocate for social change in their communities. Past cohorts have created a short film and online campaign to support the healing and liberation of Black youth. During the program, participants will have the opportunity to learn various creative practices that will strengthen their voice, power and art, develop caring relationships with other young Black creatives in their area, receive mentorship from Black women creatives of a variety of professions & lead an arts-based cultural activism project that explores an issue impacting Black youth. 


































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