A county wide program sponsored by the Blair County Chamber of Commerce is helping a group of Tyrone sophomores shatter the stereotype of teenage apathy.

Leadership Blair County Youth is a program designed to develop the leadership potential of select 10th grade students, as well as educate them on the county’s heritage, culture and workforce opportunities.

Students from eight schools in Blair County are involved in the program, including five Tyrone students (click HERE to see a complete list of all participating students and schools).

“The best part of the program for me is to see the students gain confidence in themselves…and provide the opportunity to expose them to [new] locations and speakers,” says program coordinator Judy Juda.

So far the Tyrone students involved are enjoying the experience.

“I recommend the program because it looks great on college and scholarship applications. Also, the program is tons of fun and a wonderful experience,” said Tyrone sophomore Emma Hoover.

In addition to Hoover, sophomores Maqqel Kosoglow, Sara Shock, Ava Focht, and Kristen Johnson are also involved in the program, which began in the summer and will conclude in May 2017.

The students began on July 25 and 26th at Laurel Lodge in Duncansville for a two day retreat, where participants learned how to give presentations and improve their public speaking.

“My favorite part [of the program] is getting to know people from other schools,” Kosoglow said.

Along with giving presentations, students participated in group activities and games.

“They came up with a lot of cool games for us to interact with, which made it fun,” said Focht.

The group continues to meet once a month at the Greater Altoona Career and Tech Center.  The meetings are facilitated by volunteer Tammy Chadick.  

Each month, they travel to different areas in Blair County to learn about county landmarks and eat in local restaurants.

In September they traveled around Altoona to learn the history, heritage, and the arts of the city.

In October they visited a feed mill, dairy farm, and Ritchey’s Dairy to learn about the agricultural heritage of Blair County.

The most recent trip was to the Blair County Prison and Courthouse in Hollidaysburg to teach them about the justice system.

In upcoming months they will continue to travel throughout the county and learn

“The Leadership program is something that I would highly recommend for anyone interested. The types of things that you learn really relate to life later on, especially throughout high school,” says 2015-2016 Leadership graduate Jonathan Clifton.