FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: LeadershipCares
10181 Nightingale Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20882
Contact: Ron Yudd (301) 540-5791
Lula Davis (202)-224-7595
www.leadershipcares.org            

November 12th, 2008 Hyattsville MD-Student leaders from Northwestern High School participated in the sixth annual MentorCares™ Conference at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center in College Park Maryland on Thursday October 23rd 2008. This annual conference kicks off the school year for students that are active as mentors and mentees in the MentorCares™ leadership development program sponsored by LeadershipCares™.

Fifty five enthusiastic students and their adult coaches (professional adult volunteers) attended sessions covering mentoring and coaching skills and segments on “real life” leadership skills for everyday success at school, in the workplace and in the community. Participants learned to apply caring leadership skills by participating in role plays and table team exercises.

This year’s opening speaker was Ms. Janice Clements-United States State Department Retired She inspired the students and adults by sharing her personal story of success and talked about how MentorCares™ students could be successful by “filling their tool boxes with the “12 and 12” (12 leadership and 12 life skills). She also spoke how students could climb the “ladder of success”. Each rung of the ladder represented a step toward success. Ms. Clement’s success ladder focused on school attendance, helping others and working hard in the classroom.

Other inspiring speakers included Ms. Justine Love, the Director of Community/Public Affairs for WPGC-FM and AM radio stations, Co-Founder/President of WHISPERR, which stands for WE HELP INSPIRE STUDENTS AND PARENTS EMBRACE RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY. Ms. Love is President of Just Ask Justine Media Relations and is a featured columnist on WPGC 95.5 FM website and Fox5 TV website My Voice DC.

Ms. Love spoke about passion and its link to being a successful leader. She encouraged students to try and look at their personal vision each and every day and to be passionate about what they want to do. She inspired the students to do something that they loved and would help others at the same time.

During the day long conference students did exercises and activities entitled “What Does Success Look Like” and “What Do I Love About Myself”, and worked in teams brainstorming ideas for the ThanksgivingCares™ and LiteracyCares™ programs.

During breakout sessions upperclassmen worked on mentoring skills while freshman and sophomores worked on success skills for the school year.

The teams of young people performed role-plays and skits demonstrating their knowledge of leadership skills and techniques. The skits, performed at the end of the day, were the highlight of the conference. Everyone participated and had lots of fun.

The goal of the MentorCares™ Northwestern High School partnership is to provide training to fortify today’s youth with marketable skills to take into the workplace and to provide a training ground to nurture self-confidence, personal responsibility and a passion for service to others.

MentorCares™ Student testimonials about the day included:

• “It was fantastic and everyone had a great time”-Brandon Hauston
• “This program opened up a new world to young people”-Elizabeth David
• “I really learned a lot and there were many wonderful speakers”-Analilia Fierro
• “I really got the concept of what leadership is all about”-Christine Gilchrist

All participating students will receive a LeadershipCares™ certificate of completion for attending and participating in the conference.

For more information about LeadershipCares™ and specific details on how the MentorCares™ program works visit www.leadershipcares.org.