Youth Leadership Development with Kendall College and AMA

Kendall College and American Management Association (AMA) Host Youth Leadership Development Program for Chicago Public High School Juniors and Seniors

More than 200 high school students participated in a two-day program focused on practical business and life skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

The Kendall College School of Business recently hosted more than 200 Chicago Public High School juniors and seniors for a two-day workshop, titled “Business Skills for Future Leaders.” In partnership with Operation Enterprise, the American Management Association’s youth leadership division, students learned about the “Four Cs”—Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication—skills identified by business executives as essential for the 21st Century workplace.

“This workshop, the result of an ongoing collaboration between Kendall College and Operation Enterprise, brings local students much needed exposure to the work environment and the skills that will allow them to succeed,” said Michelle Coussens, dean of the Kendall College School of Business, who was also a presenter. “The students participated in sessions that focused on Leadership, Communication Skills and Projecting a Positive Professional Image, and it was evident that each session imparted valuable information that will benefit them greatly as they contemplate their future careers.”

The two-day event combined theory with real-world challenges, via practical, hands-on sessions. Workshops covered topics on personal leadership and its impact on success, developing a flexible communications style, and the importance of body language in creating a positive professional image.

”The business workshop offered to our students not only provided them with skills to enhance their high school careers, but allowed them to see firsthand how learning about the Four C’s will impact their college and career paths, “said Kye-Anne Wilborn, Program Coordinator for the Career & Technical Education Business Program at Chicago Public Schools. “The lessons learned are invaluable to our students’ success.”

Students joining the workshop represented the following Chicago Public Schools in the Career & Technical Education Business Cluster: ABEA, Julian, Schurz, Simeon and School of Entrepreneurship (SOE).

Event Photos

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/8264381/1/Kendall_AMAOct2011?h=4b7434