Student leaders from Cleveland Job Corps joined Student Government Association delegations from ten other Job Corps Centers for the Spring 2018 SGA Leadership Confer-ence – April 10-13, 2018 at Camp Horizons near Harrison-burg, VA.
The four-day conference opened with a series of ice-breakers and team-building activities on Tuesday that encouraged communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and lead-ership. Job Corps Center delegations were paired to form teams that worked together throughout the conference to complete challenges, participate in classroom sessions and lead by example by serving their fellow delegates during meals. Cleveland Job Corps students joined with students from Charleston Job Corps to form the “Maple” team.

On Wednesday, students divided their day between class-room sessions that focused on effective leadership, building trust, cultivating dynamic, motivated teams, and using effective communication and public speaking techniques, as well as the high ropes challenge course. In this series of challenge initiatives, students stepped out of their comfort zone to scale trees, traverse metal ca-bles suspended high above the ground, ride a zip-line from a tree-top platform to the ground, and experience the thrill of the “Giant Swing.” Fellow participants served as relay teams, shouting encouragement as students conquered their fears, embraced new challenges and bolstered their self-confidence.
Thursday’s banquet featured guest speaker Art Dean, executive director of campus and community programs for access and inclusion at James Madison University. Mr. Dean urged students to “make decisions with your future in mind,” and encouraged them to “make your mess your message” by learning from their mistakes and moving on. He also urged students to serve as positive role models for those around them and remember the mentors who encouraged them along the way.

Each Center delegation also created an Action Plan to discuss an issue on Center and presented the plan to fellow students on Friday. The Cleveland plan focused on the lack of stu-dent involvement on Center, and called for a student-centered approach to improve student morale and involvement through activities that addresses student needs and retention, while providing students with the opportunity to change. The plan also calls for soliciting student input for ideas for ac-tivities through a town hall subcommittee meeting.

The Cleveland Job Corps delegation included Student Government Associ-ation President, Diamond Williams; Vice President, Tiara LuSane; Secre-tary, Jasmine Owens; Treasurer, Aniquianna Kurtz; Sergeant-At-Arms, Stacey Smiley Jr.; and Youth2Youth Ambassador, Tra-Dale Wade. Student Government Association Coordinator, Tiffany Artis and Residential