SFCC Offers Two Leadership Programs for Youth

youth leadership

Santa Fe Community College will offer two leadership programs this fall designed to meet Santa Fe’s need for young community leaders. The sessions are offered on one Saturday per month during the academic year. Youth Leadership Santa Fe sponsored by the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, begins on Sept. 24 and prepares teens in the ninth, tenth and eleventh grade for community leadership roles. The Discovering Your Way Middle School Emerging Leaders program begins Oct. 8 and offers leadership training to students in the seventh and eighth grades. Sessions run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Both programs are led by SFCC’s Teamwork in Action director David Markwardt. The Saturday SFCC programs introduce leadership skills by incorporating the college’s popular Ropes Challenge Course for active, outdoor participation.

“It is everyone’s responsibility to co-create the world we want to live in. Our goal is to make a difference in Santa Fe by providing access to civics experts, training in leadership skills and cultivating a network of community youth leaders,” Markwardt said. As Director of the Teamwork in Action, a program in SFCC’s Continuing Education Department, Markwardt has led custom teambuilding programs for schools, corporations and many organizations during the past twenty years on the college campus. The SFCC Challenge Course is more than 20 acres, the largest in the Southwest.

The Youth Leadership Santa Fe program will teach leadership, college preparedness and civic engagement. Students will meet with established leaders in county and city governments, business, education, human services and the arts, and explore ways to meet the challenges of Santa Fe’s future. The sessions are once a month from Sept. 24 through May, 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. each day. Students will earn three college credits, and one dual credit if they attend a participating high school. To find out more details and to download the application for Youth Leadership Santa Fe visit http://leadershipsantafe.org/programs/youth-program-2/. Applications are due Sept. 19.

This fall is the first time a leadership program is available for middle school students. The Discovering Your Way Middle School Emerging Leaders program will help middle school youth develop leadership skills and learn what it means to be contributing citizens in their community. Discovering Your Way participants attend sessions about civics awareness topics and workshops for building leadership skills. This integrated form of learning ensures that each participant identifies his/her strengths as a potential leader in the community and feels empowered to create change. For more details and to download the application go to https://www.sfcc.edu/middle-school-emerging-leaders/ Applications are due Sept. 23.


Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.

Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.

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