Published: November 16, 2009 10:29 am      

Students learn team skills

Forty students with leadership potential chosen by staff for annual program.

MIDDLEBURY — Fostering the future leaders of Elkhart County took center stage in Middlebury Saturday with the 2009 Youth Empowerment Saturday program.

Held at the Boys and Girls Club of Middlebury, the annual event, also known as “YES Day,” takes students from Northridge Middle School who have been selected for their innate leadership abilities and puts them together with other like-minded students for a fun day of skill building and leadership training.

“The day is really all about building leadership, communication, teamwork skills, and just boosting self esteem for these kids,” said Chelsea Gorsuch, a councilor at Northridge Middle School and YES Day coordinator. “We had about 40 students participate in this year’s event, which is about where we usually fall each year.”

To be able to participate in the program, students must be chosen by their teachers and other school staff based on the leadership skills they display on a daily basis.

“What we’re doing is recognizing the leadership potential in these kids and helping them see that they’re not the only ones that believe what they believe, and trying to help them see that by working together, they can contribute to a more positive climate in the school, and let them see that their leadership is powerful,” said Rachel Vallance, a NMS teacher and YES Day volunteer.

The day

During the day, students were able to participate in all manner of skill building and teamwork-oriented activities, including word games, physical challenges requiring trust, and problem solving puzzles and games.

“Much of the day is made up of a bunch of team-building, ice-breaking, group building activities that help the kids build trust with each other.” Vallance said. “I think one of the most valuable comments I heard today from the kids is that they’re learning that they’re not the only ones who have problems, and they have a lot more in common with each other than they might have originally thought.”

Kimberly Gendron, a Northridge High School senior, is a past YES Day participant who has now come full circle as a YES Day student volunteer.

“I actually participated in YES Day when I was in eighth grade,” Gendron said. “I think it’s a really great program, and a really fun day. A lot of these activities are really productive and helpful for these kids, so that’s why I decided to help out.”

Holly Segorski, one of the seventh-graders chosen to participate in the program, agreed.

“It was really a lot of fun,” Segorski said, “and I got to meet a lot of new people. It was great.”