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

For their February meeting, our Youth Ambassadors got a VIP tour of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta! During the tour, they learned all about the sustainable design and tech innovation of this LEED Platinum Certified stadium as well as careers that connect to it: engineers, art curators, agriculturalists, business managers, and more! Before they left, they had a working lunch meeting in one of the suites and heard from guest speaker Jasmine Bradley, Specialist, Learning and Associate Engagement at AMB Sports & Entertainment and a 21CL Alumna (and former 21CL staff!). Thank you to Jasmine, AMB Sports and Entertainment, and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (and fantastic tour guide team) for an inspirational and STEM-pressive experience!

Today's Georgia Black History Month spotlight is on an influencer in black media: The Atlanta Daily World. This newspaper, founded as the weekly Atlanta World on August 5, 1928, by 26-year-old William Alexander Scott II, was America's first black daily newspaper in the 20th century. *The first black daily in the US was The New Orleans Tribune, a bilingual news source founded in 1864 by freeman Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez.* The Atlanta Daily World served as a platform for advocacy, education, public service, and as a correction to the way black Americans were portrayed by white media, particularly in the South. With their office located on Auburn Avenue, the newspaper spoke from the heart of black culture and community. The Atlanta Daily World was also the first black newspaper to have a White House correspondent, Harry S. McAlpin, who covered President Franklin D. Roosevelt's press conference in February 1944. That's a legacy that inspires! #blackhistorymonth #georgiablackhistory #21cleads #theatlantadailyworld

TWO WEEKS LEFT to apply to one of our summer leadership institutes! Open to current 9th - 11th grade students in high schools anywhere in Georgia, we have 4 unique institutes taking place in June. Tap into your leadership, expand your network of peers and professionals, and explore careers, all while spending a week on a college campus and joining Georgia's premier youth leadership organization. Apply to the one that interests you the most! Application deadline is MARCH 1st. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/dzWbfDns

Encouraging the Heart is a key leadership practice defined by Barry Posner and James M. Kouzes in their book The Leadership Challenge. Encouraging the Heart - a practice we incorporate into our youth leadership programs - is about "getting personally involved" in recognizing the impact of others, whether applauding their accomplishments, publicly recognizing their contributions, or simply saying "I am confident in your abilities." Hear from our Be the Inspiration Gala co-chair and 21CL Board Member Mari Sifo, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP about why she is confident that 21st Century Leaders' students are ready to lead in an evolving workforce and why she pours her heart of service into 21st Century Leaders. Our year-round programming is preparing future leaders for companies and communities. Consider supporting our current and future students by attending our 2025 Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Get involved and be the inspiration for others - learn more and purchase tickets at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew

On Feb. 1st, we had 125 students from 51 high schools attend our annual Goizueta Youth Leadership Summit! The summit, in partnership with Emory University - Goizueta Business School and Goizueta Gives, had students exploring the fashion industry and conscious consumerism. Working in peer groups led by MBA students, they developed and pitched sustainable business solutions for fast fashion. Students also received leadership wisdom from Rod McCowan, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management at Goizueta Business School. The drip was in the details of a "dress for success" fashion show and morning energizers led by our 21CL Youth Ambassadors. Special thank you to the 23 volunteers from Emory who made the day a seamless success! #21cleads #goizuetayouthleadershipsummit #goizuetagives #youthleadership

In celebration of Black History Month, we'll be highlighting black leaders and innovators from Georgia whose legacies have shaped communities, industries, and opportunities. Today we celebrate Dr. Mary Logan Reddick, a neuroembryologist, researcher, and professor from Atlanta, GA. With four degrees from Spelman College (where she enrolled at age 15!), (Clark) Atlanta University, and Radcliffe College (Harvard), her pioneering research contributed to the understanding of environmental influence on fetal and brain tissue development, studying nerve cell differentiation in chick embryos and techniques for transplanting tissues. This trailblazing woman in STEM received several prestigious fellowship and research grants and was the first black woman to receive the Ford Foundation Fellowship which allowed her to study abroad at Cambridge University. She was also the first female biology instructor and female biology department chair at Morehouse College and the 10th faculty member of Morehouse to earn a doctorate. Dr. Reddick is a 20th Century Leader who made an impact on higher education, neuroscience, embryology, and women in STEM! #blackhistorymonth #drmaryloganreddick #womeninstem #21cleads #georgiahistory

We are proud to announce our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award winners! These 21 outstanding 21st Century Leaders' students from across the state represent 21CL's leadership values and are making an impact through their leadership in action. The student awardees will be honored at 21CL's annual fundraising event, the Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, which will take place at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday, March 15. Winners are paired with business professionals who serve as their GYLA Coaches. These Coaches are known for their own impact as leaders and will mentor the students through their award season. Thank you to the coaches and the 27-member Selection Committee for honoring these students! We look forward to celebrating and supporting youth leadership with these awardees at the gala. Read the full press release at https://lnkd.in/eF4cUEWi #betheinspirationgala #21cleads #georgiayouthleadershipawards

Thank you to Georgia Power Company, a gold sponsor of our 2025 Be the Inspiration Gala, taking place March 15 at Zoo Atlanta. The gala will be a night of inspiration to celebrate 21 of our students with a Georgia Youth Leadership Award for the impact they are making in their communities and to raise support that lets future leaders access our transformative programs at little to no cost. Not only is Georgia Power a gold sponsor of the gala, they have been investing in youth leadership development with us since 1989 as one of our legacy partners. Read more about this valuable 35-year partnership at https://lnkd.in/eHA968R5. Inspired by this commitment to youth leadership and opportunity? Join us at the Be the Inspiration Gala - tickets and sponsorships available at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #35yearsof21CL #legacypartner #betheinspirationgala #21cleads

Did you know we have incredible corporate partners who give their time, talent, and treasure to make each of our summer leadership institutes exceptional? From networking with employees of these companies to working in teams on developing solutions to industry challenges to visiting corporate campuses, our summer institutes provide hands-on career exploration, leadership development, inclusion training and more! If you're a high school student (rising 10th, 11th or 12th grade) in Georgia with an interest in growing your personal and professional leadership skills among diverse peers, apply for one of our summer leadership institutes! Deadline is March 1st. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/dzWbfDns