LDP: World change begins with youth here at home!

JustWorld International is committed to making positive changes in the lives of children around the world, but we also recognize that change can begin with youth here at home. It was with this idea in mind that JustWorld International will work hand-in-hand with Palm Beach International Academy to host the fifth annual Leadership Development Program (LDP) this upcoming winter. This program understands the importance of affording students the tools they need to become philanthropic leaders in their community and learn how they can improve the lives of others. LDP is a 6-week program scheduled to begin February 2, 2016. Sessions will be held every Tuesday night at Palm Beach International Academy in Wellington, Florida.During this program, LDP will host outstanding speakers, real life leadership development exercises, and run philanthropic projects that directly benefit JustWorld’s partner projects in Cambodia, Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala.Joanne Weiner, the Executive Director of Palm Beach International Academy, shared about last year's program, “We all had a great amount of fun working with like-minded people who want to personally grow and learn about themselves, and who also want to help make the world a better place for those less fortunate than we are. The participants also learned so very much about taking on projects, asking for help and completing projects. They all got to see that they each have their own individual style of leadership, which made the group projects really fantastic.”LDP is open to all students and serves to educate tomorrow’s leaders. Students who participate in LDP go on to become predominate members in their communities, often utilizing the skills and knowledge they gained through this program and successfully applying it to higher academic endeavors.Former LDP group leader, Dylann Ephraimson, said, “The course taught students what it meant to be responsible social, political, and financial leaders. My involvement included leading breakout groups after each session which discussed topics such as leading to benefit a community, evaluating an organization’s financial transparency, and evaluating an organization’s mission. My involvement with the Leadership Development Program taught me the benefits of socially responsible leadership, making it a valuable experience for me to have before applying for [higher educational programs].”Former guest speakers have included Juan Andres Rodriguez, Titi Mills, Anne Caroline Valtin, and Daniel Bluman. All students have the opportunity of working one on one with each of these inspiring industry professionals while establishing each of their own unique styles of leadership. The Leadership Development Program offers free enrollment and is open to all.Spaces for this year’s program will be filing up quickly! For more information and how to sign up please contact Molly McDougall at mmcdougall@justworldinternational.org.