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Junior Leadership Bay
Discover Your Community. Develop Your Leadership. Shape What Comes Next.
Tomorrow's leaders are already here.
Junior Leadership Bay (JLB) is a youth leadership development program of the Bay County Chamber Foundation designed to give high school juniors an inside look at the community they call home—and help prepare them to become the leaders who will shape its future.
From October through May, students step outside the classroom to explore Bay County firsthand, meet the people making decisions in their community, discover local career and educational opportunities, and develop the leadership skills they can carry into college, the workforce and beyond.
Leadership Starts Here
There's More to Bay County Than What You See Every Day.
Junior Leadership Bay gives students access to people, places and experiences they may not otherwise encounter during high school.
Through hands-on activities, discussions, site visits and interaction with business and community leaders, participants gain a better understanding of how their community works, the opportunities available to them and the role they can play in Bay County's future.
Along the way, students develop relationships with other emerging leaders from schools throughout Bay County.
The goal isn't simply to teach students about leadership. It's to give them opportunities to practice it.
The JLB Experience
Junior Leadership Bay introduces students to different parts of the community through experiences designed to broaden their perspective and build practical leadership skills.
Participants have opportunities to:
- Meet community and business leaders and learn from their experiences.
- Explore Bay County firsthand through hands-on activities and community experiences.
- Develop leadership skills including communication, teamwork, responsibility and constructive participation.
- Discover career and educational opportunities available in the community.
- Connect with students from across Bay County who demonstrate leadership potential.
- Build a stronger understanding of their community and the challenges and opportunities shaping its future.
- Put leadership into practice through active participation throughout the program.
JLB runs October through May each year.
Who Can Participate?
Bay County's Future Leaders
Junior Leadership Bay is designed for high school juniors who demonstrate leadership potential and an interest in becoming more involved in their community.
Students from public and private high schools throughout Bay County are invited to apply, and home-schooled students are welcome to participate in the application process. Students are selected through an application and school leadership process.
Participation is limited.
More Than a Leadership Program
See What's Possible Right Here at Home.
One of the most important things we can give young people is a reason to see a future for themselves in Bay County.
JLB helps students discover the businesses, institutions, industries, educational opportunities and people shaping the community around them. That exposure can help participants begin thinking differently about where their interests could take them—and how they can contribute along the way.
For Bay County, that means developing young people who are informed, connected and prepared to lead.
Investing in What's Next
The Junior Leadership Bay Scholarship
The JLB experience doesn't necessarily end when the program does.
Each year, an outstanding graduating Junior Leadership Bay participant is selected to receive a scholarship supporting continued higher education locally through Gulf Coast State College and Florida State University Panama City.
This scholarship represents what Junior Leadership Bay is ultimately about: investing in promising young leaders and creating opportunities for them to build their futures right here in Bay County.
For Parents & Schools
Junior Leadership Bay is more than another extracurricular activity.
Students gain exposure to community leadership, career pathways, higher education and the organizations that keep Bay County moving. They also have opportunities to strengthen communication, teamwork, confidence and civic awareness while developing relationships with peers from throughout the county.
The program works alongside Bay County's schools and community partners to identify students with leadership potential and give them experiences that complement what they're learning in the classroom.
Junior Leadership Bay — Steering Committee
Guiding the Next Generation of Bay County Leaders
Junior Leadership Bay is supported by a dedicated Steering Committee of community leaders and volunteers who work with the Bay County Chamber Foundation to create meaningful, age-appropriate experiences for each JLB class.
Steering Committee members help students explore Bay County beyond the classroom by developing program experiences, connecting students with local leaders and organizations, and creating opportunities for participants to learn about leadership, careers and community involvement firsthand.
Most importantly, they help create an environment where students can ask questions, discover new possibilities and begin seeing themselves as future leaders in Bay County.
Help Develop What's Next
Serving on the Junior Leadership Bay Steering Committee is an opportunity to invest directly in the young people who will become Bay County's future professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Steering Committee members may assist with:
- Planning and coordinating JLB program days
- Connecting students with businesses, organizations and community leaders
- Identifying educational and career-exploration opportunities
- Supporting hands-on leadership experiences
- Mentoring and encouraging participating students
- Helping students better understand the community they call home
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you're a high school junior ready to learn more about your community, challenge yourself and discover what leadership can look like beyond the classroom, Junior Leadership Bay is your opportunity to get started.
For program information, application details or questions, contact:
Lisa Moore
VP of Events/Foundation
Bay County Chamber Foundation
850-215-3761
Lisa@BayChamberFL.com
Developing today's students into tomorrow's Bay County leaders.
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