MY 2 CENTS

Next week, a new class of iOpener students will meet for the first time. iOpener is a youth leadership development program, produced by the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, for high_school aged students.

The goal of the program is to help students unlock their full leadership potential by learning new skills and habits and to put that potential to the test through the implementation of a class project for the betterment of our community.

At the time I joined the Chamber in my current role, iOpener was new and I had never heard of it before. Frankly, it worried me because I have no children of my own and very little experience with high schoolers.

When I met with the students for the first time, it completely confirmed my fears. _o matter how much energy I attempted to bring to what we were doing, the faces of the students looked completely blank.

Friends with kids told me this was normal teenage behavior, but I remained concerned. Another class session came with different topics and presenters. Blank expressions, passive body language.

When it came time for the students to select a class project, they decided to raise funds for a local nonprofit by staging a 5-Krun. I asked how many of them had participated in a run before and one hand was raised. How many had attended a run before? Two more hands. “These kids are way over their skies,” I thought to myself, but off we went.

Having had experience in planning events, I was especially concerned about safety and liability, but the students found great support from the local police department who I thought may shut down the idea for the same reasons I was worried.

The students evaluated the logistics of a timed race versus a community fun run. They developed a marketing plan. They found the volunteers and borrowed the equipment they needed.

Bit by bit, they pulled it off. They produced a small, but generally wellorganized run that raised a couple thousand dollars. And much to my relief, no one was injured.

I was really proud of these students, mostly because they were really proud of themselves. For a few hours, I saw them, completely animated with their full range of emotions on display.

We conducted a debrief exercise in which the students provided feedback on the program, in general; and a critique of the run they organized. I was in complete shock because the conversation illustrated that they were listening all along. Despite the blank expressions and bored body language, they were picking up tiny little bits of leadership advice from all the people who shared their time and talent with the group.

I still have a notecard (probably stained with a few tears) that I received from one of those students, a very smart, highly introverted young man, a few weeks later. In the note, he recounted, “we did it!” and shared that he now felt he was ready for a new challenge, with greater confident in his abilities. His goal was to start a successful service business upon graduation.

Now that I am older than these students’ parents and nearly old enough to be a grandparent, you would think the first day of blank looks by the new class wouldn’t unnerve me, but it does. But the opportunity to connect with maybe just one young, emerging leader it totally worth it. Give me a call if you are interested in getting involved or being a presenter.

!McBride is the president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce.