CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hunger relief organizations like Loaves and Fishes in Clarksville are used to giving tours to leadership groups. But they aren't used to giving a tour when the group looks as young as this.
"I definitely didn’t know there was stuff like this here," said Camden Garlick, a Kirkland High School senior.
Garlick is among a special group of Clarksville 10th, 11th and 12th graders that once a month get to learn about their community outside of the classroom.
"It’s nice to get out of school, but there’s a good reason to get out of school," said Garlick.
The program is called Youth Leadership Clarksville. Each month, students selected for the program get to learn about a new sector of their community.
"It’s just deepening your information about this community and how it started and how it’s now evolving into something better," said Janyla Love, a sophomore at Northwest High School.
Just Tuesday, they heard from a panel of faith leaders, toured two nonprofits and visited 5 Star Media Group, a collection of local radio stations. Yolanda Williams runs the parent organization Leadership Clarksville, which also does a similar class for adults.
"I live there but do you really know where you live?" said Williams. "They have the opportunity to see it on the ground, participate in what’s happening and really get to sink their teeth into it."
Williams loves it when students learn something new, but even more so, when the organizations get great ideas from the students.
"To share their concerns and ideas with the local leadership from our hospitals to our elected officials to our nonprofit organizations," said Williams.
Because many of these young adults are still planning out their future, they also get to hear from long-winded professionals, like me, who can talk about their jobs and how to get there. I'm actually a graduate of Youth Leadership Clarksville class of 2010, and I presented along with other local journalists about our chosen profession.
"Understand what we want to do in the future. Maybe some of us might want to do this," said Love.
The hope is these future leaders one day may be leading tours of their own.
"It’s nice to be able to just see these things and experience different things, so it’s a great opportunity," said Garlick.
"We are knowledge, too. We are people. We do have a voice," said Love.
Students will graduate from this year's class of Youth Leadership Clarksville in May 2025. They go through an application and interview process to be selected. Their absences from class are all excused. If you'd like to read more about the organization, click here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
Another example of how one person can truly make a difference. And the best part - we all can help! As a nurse, Laura handles emergencies every day. But nothing could prepare her for the emergency that brought her hometown to its knees. From her current home in Tennessee, she's mobilizing aid and supplies for Helene survivors and is helping make their recovery easier and their holidays brighter. I hope you take a moment to watch her story - you might even feel inspired to lend a helping hand.
-Rebecca Schleicher
