OSWEGO COUNTY – The Leadership Oswego County Youth (LOCY) program is accepting applications from Oswego County high school students who are interested in developing their leadership skills. All sessions of this year’s program will be conducted on-line, for the first time ever. Classes are scheduled for the first and third Wednesday of each month, January through June.

LOCY focuses on helping high school students develop leadership, public speaking, team-building, community awareness, decision-making skills, and much more. The curriculum is built on a series of workshops that reinforce aspects of personal, team and community growth, and combine discussions and activities that relate to the Oswego County community.

Now in its 22^nd year, the program is coordinated by the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and is sponsored by the Youth Bureau, SUNY Oswego, Elmcrest Children’s Center, and Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.

“LOCYis open to all high school students,” said Kristen Slimmer, Youth Activities Coordinator for the Youth Bureau. “High academic, athletic or musical achievement is not necessary, but a desire to learn and grow is! Virtual attendance and full participation are critical, and we are looking for youth who will fully commit to this program.”

Any high school student interested in participating may apply online at https://forms.gle/rp2aTcTrxPKGr3NXA. Applicants must have a valid Google account. The application deadline is Tuesday, Dec.1.

“Leadership Oswego County Youth helps high school students learn life-long skills that will enable them to make a difference in their home, school and community now, as well as serve them in their adult lives,” said Brian Chetney, Director of the Youth Bureau. “Ideally, we would like to have two to four students involved from each school district. It’s important to have all areas of our county represented, because it allows for better networking opportunities for LOCY members, and it helps them have a more complete view of the county they live in.”

Enrolled students will be contacted by the program coordinator after Dec. 1 with access information for program orientation. LOCY facilitators will hold a virtual program orientation for enrolled students and their parents or guardians at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. Youth enrolled in the program and their parents or guardians will be able to learn more about the program, expectations of the students, and have their questions answered. 

For more information about the program, contact Kristen Slimmer, Youth Activities Coordinator for the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and Leadership Oswego County Youth Program Coordinator, at 315-349-3575 or email kslimmer@oswegony.org. More information about Youth Bureau activities is available at https://youthbureau.oswegocounty.com/.