March 2009
Summit Photo Gallery

110 youth and adults from 15 counties gathered for the “Linkin’ to Healthy Leadership” summit.  The event was held at the Windermere Conference Center near Camdenton, March 6-8.  Workshops and activities focused on timeless leadership principles, effective mentoring, healthy lifestyles, civic engagement, and planning for college.

Yvonne Matthews, interim associate administrator for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, and Tony Delong, extension council coordinator with University of Missouri Extension, both spoke on the importance of young leaders to the future of Missouri, and the historic role of the two Land Grant Universities in making education and learning accessible to all citizens of the state.

One highlight of the summit was the appearance of Richard “Fritz” Klein of the Lincoln Institute, Inc. in character as President Abraham Lincoln. Klein, a full-time professional actor from Springfield, Illinois, presented a “Portrait of the President” as well as a workshop on Lincoln’s leadership principles on Saturday.

 

Teams participated in group challenge activities, including the EDGE high ropes course and “Vertical Mud” cave expedition. On Sunday, teams chose an issue of importance to their communities and developed a plan for organizing youth and adults to work together.

Organizers say the event promotes youth-adult partnerships and motivates participants to extend their involvement as leaders and decision-makers in their communities.

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Sponsors of the Summit included Monsanto Company, Cenex Harvest States Foundation, The Missouri Bar, and the Missouri 4-H Foundation.

For over a century, 4-H has been the youth development program of the University of Missouri Extension, helping young men and women gain leadership, citizenship, and life skills.