Extension offers diversity leadership training for schools

MILFORD - Step Up To Leadership and Community Service, a 4-H program for youth grades 6 to 8, is the focus of a new grant program. The $3,000 grant will provide Step Up To Leadership training to intermediate grade students in two school districts, one in Monroe County and one in Pike County. Northeastern Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming more culturally diverse, with the Latino population becoming the largest growing ethnic group in the region. Pike and Monroe counties lead the state as the fastest growing counties in the Commonwealth and among the fastest growing nationally. With this growth, both Monroe and Pike Counties have seen an increase in the Latino population which exceeds that of the rest of the Commonwealth. While the states Latino population makes up 3.8% of the total population, Monroe’s Latino population is 9.7% of its total population and Pike Counties is 6.3%. This nine week program, starting in early October, will encourage students to grow and develop their leadership skills while developing and implementing a plan to impact positive change within their communities. During the nine weeks, five weeks will be devoted to using the Step Up To Leadership curriculum while the other four weeks will be used to celebrate diversity by bringing in successful minority role models to talk about their careers. To receive more information on this program, or to find out how to register, contact the Monroe County Cooperative Extension at (570) 421-6430 or the Pike County Cooperative Extension at 570- 296-3400. The Cooperative Extensions in Monroe and Pike counties in collaboration with The Latino American Alliance of Northeastern Pa. secured the grant through Penn State Cooperative Extension’s Children, Youth and Families - Diversity Program Development Initiative, and are sponsoring the programs.