The teenage years are some of the most formative in one’s life. Developing effective leadership skills during this time can have long-lasting benefits and transform a student into a responsible adult. Two organizations – Apex Youth Council and Apex Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program – are teaching young people the skills necessary to flourish in leadership roles that will help their community and the world around us.
Apex Youth Council
Launched in 2010, the Apex Youth Council is a Town-sponsored organization run by local middle and high school students to enhance the local community through leadership and service. The council focuses on civic engagement, leadership opportunities, community service, and recreation activities.
The Apex Youth Council serves, listens to and represents local youth in all matters of civic interest and need. “This includes observing local town council meetings to understand how our government works and to represent the voice of the local youth,” said Elizabeth Shoaf, recreation program supervisor for the Town of Apex.
The council not only provides a supportive and creative environment for teens to express their ideas and opinions and serve as advocates for teens in the community, members also volunteer for projects and events that benefit the Apex community. In doing so, they earn a minimum of 25 volunteer hours each year. They also gain communication, organizational, social and professional skills. During the 2022-2023 school year, students volunteered a combined total of 2,413.75 hours.
“One of the longest standing traditions of the Apex Youth Council is donating annually to the Western Wake Crisis Ministry to support their mission,” Shoaf said. During the school year, council members also volunteer with a variety of community events including Goblin’s Groove, Turkey Trot Run, the Rockin’ Reindeer Hop Dance, Reindeer Romp 5K, Touch-a-Truck, and more.
The council is open to all Apex youth, and all students who apply are accepted into the program, which currently boasts 120 members. Students can join as early as middle school up until their senior year in high school. Most stay for consecutive years, although they must reapply annually. Shoaf explained that as Apex continues to grow and more students become interested in joining the council, the selection process may change over the next few years.
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year can be submitted in August; forms will be available online at apexnc.org/178/Apex-Youth-Council.
Council meetings align with the traditional school calendar and are held on the first Wednesday of each month starting in September at the John M. Brown Community Center, 53 Hunter Street. Students will receive an Apex Youth Council T-shirt to wear while volunteering for events. Members who aspire to become an Apex Youth Council board member must complete a separate application in the spring and interview for the position.
What students have to say:
“Being able to give back and have an impact on our community is very meaningful to me and being a member of Apex Youth Council has provided me with many opportunities to do so. I enjoy working with others to bring positive experiences to the people around us, and as a Youth Council member, I’ve had and will continue to have many chances to be able to participate in these environments.” – Udita Pericharla, Apex Friendship High School graduate, Class of 2023
“My favorite experience as an AYC member has been volunteering at annual events and recognizing some of the same faces return each year. It’s always fun to come back to these events because it brings the community so close together. I really enjoy meeting more of the community each year! I enjoy taking part in community events and building relationships with other participants/members. I also used to participate in a lot of the events that AYC volunteers at when I was a kid so being a volunteer at the same events and watching the community grow each year is very nostalgic and rewarding for me.” – Gauri Nair, Apex Friendship High School graduate, Class of 2023
“My favorite experience throughout my time at Apex Youth Council would definitely be volunteering at the Turkey Trot Run. It was my first ever experience volunteering as a whole and it gave me an idea about how I can make a difference in such an easy way. It was so gratifying to see how happy the people were as they greeted me, and it has made a lasting impact on the way that I help others. The thing that I enjoy the most about being a member in Apex Youth Council is the fact that I am able to reach out to people who need help through the volunteer events provided. I can make a lasting impact on my community and learn about leadership along the way.” – Naren Pai, Carnage Middle School 8th grader
Apex Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program
The Apex Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program is designed for high school juniors to understand how businesses, communities and individuals work together. It accepts 28 students each year – 14 from Apex High School and 14 from Apex Friendship High School – and selects equal numbers of males and females. The program features five half-day field trips throughout the school year that involve team building, community service, local business tours and visits with Town leadership.
Field trips vary year to year; past participants have visited Citadel Contractors Inc., Culvers Restaurant, Apex Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Bar Association and Harris Nuclear Plant Visitor Center to learn how local organizations and businesses operate. This year, Mayor Jacques Gilbert, Town Manager Katy Crosby, Fire Chief Tim Herman and Police Chief Jason Armstrong spoke to the group, as did several business owners from Apex. Members of the Apex Public School Foundation, which works to enhance the educational experience for students at Apex-area schools, also attended all the group sessions.
To get to know each other better at the beginning of the year, participants take part in team-building exercises at Kraft Family YMCA and set forth on a community service project as part of the program. This year, members completed two service projects: volunteering at a health fair and 5K race at Apex Town Hall and organizing a food drive for Western Wake Crisis Ministry. The Apex Chamber of Commerce and generous local sponsors cover all transportation and food expenses for participants, who also enjoy an uplifting graduation ceremony in the spring.
Applications for the 2023-2024 Apex Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program will be available at both Apex High School and Apex Friendship High School beginning in August. To encourage juniors to apply, announcements will be made at each high school.
Students who apply for the program must submit an application and two teacher recommendations, and take part in an interview. Successful academic performance is an important factor because participants will miss a half-day of school once a month to attend a field trip. Diversity is another aspect, as program leaders want the group to represent the diversity of Apex and their respective high schools, and bring those diverse perspectives to the program.
Tanya Guinn, a career development coordinator at Apex Friendship High School, oversees the Apex Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program with Jenean Abolins of Apex High School. The Apex Chamber of Commerce selects the students who will take part in it.
Guinn stated, “It was a pleasure to watch our students grow in teambuilding and learn leadership skills from town leaders like Mayor Gilbert, our police chief, fire chief and business leaders from the Apex community. They also learned more about service projects from the health fair and food drive for Wake Crisis Ministries. We are so grateful for the Apex Chamber of Commerce providing this opportunity for our students!”
What former participants have to say:
“The Apex Youth Leadership Program was an amazing opportunity. The program claims it is designed to focus on developing the potential of future leaders and it does exactly that. We went on a series of mini field trips to places in our community including the police and fire station. I gained a lot of insight when we visited the town council and had the pleasure of meeting Mayor Jacques Gilbert, whom I’ve now spoken to several times outside of the program concerning ways to get more involved in the Apex community. I highly encourage students to apply because they will learn so much from the program. It’s extremely important for people my age to be involved in the town they live in. Especially because someday, it will be people my age needing to make decisions that impact our community.” – Hailey Ricard, Apex High School graduate, Class of 2023
“The Apex Youth Leadership Program allowed me to get a deeper understanding of how the town operates. When we went to the town hall, Mayor Jacques Gilbert hosted a simulation of a town council meeting. He let us become representatives of the different departments of the town and presented us with real issues that the council is actually solving at this time. We also met with local business owners. They talked about careers associated with these businesses and what skills are needed to pursue those careers. But perhaps what I enjoyed the most in this program, is personally meeting the firefighters, policemen, and town hall staff. They told many personal stories and it really felt like I got to know them. Overall, the Youth Leadership Program has taught me a lot about my town, how it operates, and what it takes to lead a business or a community.” – Danil Saitov, Apex High School graduate, Class of 2023.
