Shaping the Leaders of Tomorrow

Group Picks Students From Diverse Areas, Backgrounds for Hands-On Training

Joseph Boone, a junior at Anacostia High School in the District, and Natalie Wainger, a sophomore at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, do not travel in the same social circles.

Besides the physical distance between them, Boone's high school is predominantly black, as are his friends, and Wainger's school is predominantly white, as are her friends.

But through a program aimed at finding the leaders of tomorrow among the high school youths of today, the teenagers have become buddies. And that's part of what Youth Leadership Greater Washington is all about.

"I thought everyone else [in the program] would be different from me, but I found out they're actually a lot like me," said Boone, 16, captain of the drum line and an aspiring varsity football player. "I've made friends with a lot of them."

"My school is not that diverse," said Wainger, 16, a member of the Wootton pom squad. "I've never met anyone from Southeast [Washington] before. Joe and I talk a lot."

The Youth Leadership Greater Washington program, which runs from January to June, brings together a diverse "class" of 35 to 45 high school sophomores and juniors from across the Washington region each year. The program looks for teenagers who demonstrate leadership qualities -- at school, at home, at church or in any other arena.

"There are some very obvious leaders, remarkable, amazing kids who might be on everybody's radar screen," said Tim Kime, president and chief executive of Leadership Greater Washington, the adult group on which the youth group is modeled. "But then there are others who are not necessarily the student body president but a child from a single-family home who's taking care of younger siblings or one doing terrific things in their church, their neighborhood, their family or their school."

"We're looking for aspiring leaders who we can inspire and enlighten," said Kenneth Barrow, the program's coordinator. "We hope to foster community involvement and show them how they can contribute to the region."

For one day a month for six months, the group delves into one topic -- such as public safety, diversity or the media -- through field trips, interactive exercises and guest speakers.

With the group operating under the auspices of the high-powered Leadership Greater Washington, which brings together local leaders from the public, private and nonprofit worlds, some of the field trips can be pretty special.

Friday was public safety day, sponsored by Arlington County. The teenagers toured the county jail, talked to an inmate and questioned a judge. Commonwealth's Attorney Richard E. Trodden explained the jury selection process. Police Chief M. Douglas Scott also spoke to them, as did detectives and correctional officials. After the courthouse, the youths toured a fire station, tried on firefighting equipment and learned about the jobs of emergency medical personnel.

"That was really pretty cool," Carrie Bevis, 16, from J.E.B. Stuart High School in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County, said after the jail tour and a session in Arlington's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Her group watched as a young mother who had run away from her foster home tried to reunite with her baby. Judge Esther Wiggins-Lyles later talked to them about the case.

"I would've never gotten to go see a jail or how a television show is made if I wasn't in this program," Bevis said. "It opens your eyes to how many job opportunities are out there."

Bevis, who dreams of attending the University of Virginia to study business, said being a judge sounded "pretty cool" after listening to Wiggins-Lyles tell of how she rose to the bench after becoming the county's first black prosecutor.

The adult program, which was started in 1986, is competitive, with an average of three applications per opening. Former D.C. mayor Anthony A. Williams, former Prince George's county executive Wayne K. Curry, executives and civic leaders have completed the adult program.

The youth program, which was run by volunteers for years until it came under the wing of Leadership Greater Washington two years ago, is still working on becoming known in the area.

"It's the best-kept secret," said Nicole Newman, a senior at St. Johns College High School in the District who completed the program last year and was appointed a youth mayor by D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D).

"At first we were all just excited about the days off school," said Newman, laughing. "But we did more work there than at school. I never had so much fun learning before."