The first of The Center for Rural Development’s three 2011 summer youth programs begins next week when 60 rising high school freshmen attend the Rogers Explorers program on the campuses of Lindsey Wilson College and the University of the Cumberlands.
Explorers are set to arrive on Lindsey Wilson’s campus at 1 p.m. on Sunday and will spend three days and two nights there. They will stay in college dorms and get their first taste of life on a college campus.
Another group of students will be on the campus of the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg on Wednesday for the second session of Rogers Explorers program.
In all, 90 students from Southern and Eastern Kentucky have been selected by The Center to participate in Rogers Explorers and further develop their math, science, and technology skills this summer.
The third summer session of Rogers Explorers will be held July 20-22 on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.
Shortly after the first two summer sessions of Rogers Explorers wrap up, Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI) program begins June 12-17 on the grounds of The Center in Somerset.
During the week, high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors from within The Center’s 42-county primary service area build their business and entrepreneurial skills as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
The students work in teams to develop a business plan and present that plan to a panel of judges acting as potential investors on the final day of the program. Each member of the first-place business concept competition earns a Presidential Scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University.
Later in June, rising high school juniors from all across Southern and Eastern Kentucky will be at The Center for the opening session of 2011 Rogers Scholars.
The first class of Scholars will arrive on June 26 and spend that week developing their leadership and team-building skills.
The Rogers Scholars program, described by past graduates as “an experience of a lifetime,” emphasizes the development of technological skills and builds in participants a sense of leadership, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to rural Kentucky.
The final summer session of 2011 Rogers Scholars will be held July 10-15 on the grounds of The Center.
Each graduate is eligible to receive an exclusive scholarship offer from 15 participating colleges and universities in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Since 1998, approximately 734 high school students have graduated from Rogers Scholars, and potential scholarships valued at more than $7.2 million have been awarded to graduates from the participating partner colleges and universities.
“The Center believes in giving young people in our region the chance to receive leadership and scholarship opportunities so they can seize their potential and become effective, skilled leaders,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “It is our goal that many of these students will return to Southern and Eastern Kentucky to build their careers and transform this region for years to come.”
All three summer youth programs are provided at no charge to students or their parents.
