21st Century Leaders, Inc.

BIG NEWS! We are thrilled to announce that Georgia's high school students can earn a Leadership Certificate from Emory University - Goizueta Business School through our online learning platform, Leadership Connect (LC). Leveraging nearly 20 years of partnership with the business school, our new capstone level of curriculum in LC enables students to learn about social enterprise and entrepreneurship, work in cohorts led by Goizueta Business School's MBA students and grads, and develop and pitch a business plan. Completion of the capstone in Leadership Connect earns students the Leadership Certificate from GBS. This is the only program through which high school students can obtain this certificate. Special thanks to Emory University - Goizueta Business School, Dean Gareth James, our Executive Director, Kate Hewitt, and 21CL Board Members Brian Goebel and Alina Mencias for championing this first-of-its-kind opportunity for students. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eKHuV9nF

We've got another team birthday this month! Please wish a Happy Birthday to our Director of Programs & Communications, Nicole Meadows Smith! She's been a shining star since she first came to 21st Century Leaders when she was just 15 as a student participant, and continues to shine bright for our students and programs as full-time team member (and alumni!)! She's one of the most caring leaders, ensuring all of our programs are exceptional and that all students are seen, heard, and supported! Encourage the heart and share your birthday wishes for Nicole!

We join the state, nation and world in honoring the legacy of Jimmy Carter. Born in Plains, GA, he served as a naval officer, Georgia state senator and Governor, 39th President of the United States, University Distinguished Professor at Emory, founder of The Carter Center, humanitarian and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. We are inspired by Mr. Carter's lifelong leadership and his efforts towards health, equity, peace, human rights, and collaborative pursuits toward making the world a better place for all of us. Thank you for your service. Rest well.

It's time! The application for our 2025 summer leadership institutes is OPEN NOW! Are you a high school freshman, sophomore or junior in Georgia looking to develop your leadership, explore careers, grow your professional network and spend a week living on a college campus among peers from across the state? Apply to one of our four summer leadership institutes by March 1st. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/dzWbfDns Thanks to our corporate sponsors who will be interacting with our students this summer Georgia Power Company, Warner Bros. Discovery Cox Enterprises Emory University - Goizueta Business School Wellstar Health System The Coca-Cola Company Piedmont Mercer LocumTenens.com

Help us wish a happy birthday to Julian Mason, our Program Manager! Julian is dynamic, enthusiastic, and strategic, bringing innovation, creativity, and maximum impact to the team. Our students (and his volleyball teams) are lucky to have his leadership. We wish we could have multiples of him, and wish a multitude of opportunity and dreams in this new year! Happy birthday. :D

When you learn, you earn! Congratulations to all of the 21CL students who have earned prizes this semester through their participation in Leadership Connect! Students making progress in the online platform are eligible for our bi-weekly gift card giveaways. We want to give a special shout out to the prizes awarded through the Fulton County CONNECTED: Youth Leadership Program (CYLP), made possible through the support and partnership of Fulton County Government. This semester, CYLP students received over $11,800 in prizes, including gift cards, Hawks tickets, tech items, and iPads! Way to go, leaders! Interested in learning more about Leadership Connect? Visit our website at https://lnkd.in/eZQfZKkb.

We present our final #AlumniSpotlight of our 35th anniversary year! This post highlighting 21CL alumni from the 2020's features Jade Bennett, a Staff Assistant at the United States Senate. "Coming from a rural area with limited access to such leadership development programs made me feel lost and less prepared than most of my peers but 21CL afforded me the opportunity to meet with executives and alumni of the program who offered me great support and advice," says Jade. Jade reflects on being one of the few students from her county recently (Peach County) to be part of 21st Century Leaders and of the leadership skills like networking and delivering an elevator pitch that she used throughout college and now at Capitol Hill. Read Jade's spotlight and catch up on other 21CL alumni as we celebrate #35yearsof21CL. Check out alumni spotlights at https://lnkd.in/dBbfWA6i. Special thanks to our Alumni Relations Manager Anne Gahongayire for curating 35 alumni spotlights this year that represent 4 decades of 21CL's impact (1990's, 2000's, 2010's and 2020's)!

This #AlumniSpotlight highlighting 21CL alumni from the 2020's features Munzir Ataalsid, a student at Georgia Institute of Technology studying Aerospace Engineering. "21CL assisted me in learning how to put my group members first; it was far too easy for me to branch off and complete projects and tasks solo. However, putting the group first is critical to the success of any endeavor so learning this greatly improved my leadership skills," says Muzir. Munzir shares about the leadership skills he learned through 21st Century Leaders, from public speaking to teamwork, as well as reaffirming his career interest and interacting with well-known professionals. Not only that, but he has a story about perseverance in pitching himself for a volunteer opportunity he was after. Read Munzir's spotlight and catch up on other 21CL alumni as we continue to celebrate #35yearsof21CL. Check out alumni spotlights at https://lnkd.in/dBbfWA6i.

Last weekend, our Youth Ambassadors gathered for a special meeting to close out the year with gratitude and vision-casting. The Ambassadors called 21CL’S supporters to say thanks, created vision boards of 2025 inspiration, and swapped gifts of toys that will be donated. They also got to hear about sustainability and entrepreneurship from Cox Enterprises who hosted us at their executive suite and incubator space at Ponce City Market. Thank you to Jessica Perez, Gwen Mason, and Michael White (21CL Board Member) from Cox and our Executive Director Kate Hewitt for being our special guests at the meeting! #35yearsof21cl #21cleads

This #AlumniSpotlight highlighting 21CL alumni from the 2020's features Lailah Simmons, a student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University studying Computer Graphics. "21CL showed me that leading from a relatable perspective is the best way to bond with people," says Lailah. Lailah reflects on the value of relationships and skills of networking, as well as how making mistakes is ok. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of that! Read Lailah's spotlight and catch up on other 21CL alumni as we continue to celebrate #35yearsof21CL. Check out alumni spotlights at https://lnkd.in/dBbfWA6i.