The development of young leaders is important for our community’s future, and no one understands that better than the Michigan City Police Department. That’s why they started a summer Youth Leadership Academy to help children going into sixth, seventh, and eighth grade gain leadership skills, learn more about their community, and build new relationships.
On Friday, June 23, after an inspiring week of fun and educational activities, the Michigan City Police Department wrapped up the final day of this summer’s program with a graduation ceremony that left each child feeling ready to take on the world.
“We just wanted to take the opportunity to help develop some leaders in our community. These kids are our future and we wanted to help them build a network of individuals whether it was with their peers, other leaders in their community, or just someone they can recognize the name and face of so they can reach out to those people in the future and make things happen,” said Chief Steven Forker.
This year’s Youth Leadership Academy was packed with learning opportunities to help children become young leaders. The kids went on a Harbor Country Adventures boat tour to learn about the history of the dunes. They learned more about the police department--the SWAT team came to teach them some things, while the evidence and crime scene department showed them how black light and fingerprinting work. The kids helped pick up trash off the beach and even got to tour the local jail, where they tried prison food and sat with a panel of inmates to hear their stories and ask them questions.
The Michigan City Police Department also made sure the young leaders of tomorrow had plenty of opportunities to let loose and have some fun. They designed an obstacle course and let the kids race it on golf carts, and bought t-shirts for the kids to tie dye. The children also had a blast going to Michigan City High School to spend a day with the ROTC program and take part in some drills. Lastly, to congratulate the attendees on completing the program, the Michigan City Police Department took everyone out for a zoo day.
“We try to touch base on a bit of everything. We know that the kids are in school all year and this is their summer break so we try to find ways to get them active and involved rather than just making them sit in a classroom. We do a lot of stuff outside, we take them on fun trips--there’s a lot that goes on and I think the kids all have a good time and it’s fun for us too,” said Sergeant Michelle Widelski.
By the end of the week, it was clear that the kids had grown immeasurably.
“When I came here on the first day to introduce myself, all you could hear was crickets. Now today, the last day, the kids are laughing and joking with one another and coming up to me asking to take a picture and introduce me to their parents. They’ve learned to come out of their shell and discover skills they didn’t know they had,” said Forker.
The kids came up during their graduation to shake their instructors’ hands absolutely beaming with pride for everything they’ve accomplished both individually and as a team. Many children were given special awards for being good leaders within their groups and for showing remarkable improvement.
“I think they took away the message of integrity and kindness and just being an overall good human. I tell my students that if they only focus on the negativity in the world that’s all they’ll see and feel. It’s important to surround yourself with positivity and positive messages so that you can take that and pass it on to someone else. You never really know how much your little act of kindness can impact someone or something, and I think they realized that,” said Heather Drake, student success coach at Michigan City High School.
This year’s Youth Leadership Academy ultimately couldn’t have been a bigger success. The kids not only had fun and got to do some things they’d never done before, but they also grew in the process. The Michigan City Police Department and its team of helpers can’t wait to help even more kids discover the values of leadership in the future.
“I hope we have a lot of interest in this program again next year. Every year it just keeps growing and evolving into something better, and I think that the more hands we get involved the more fun the kids will have. I hope that the kids we had this year come back out to participate again and I hope that even more kids hear about this and come and join us next year,” said Drake.
To learn more about the Michigan City Police Department, visit https://www.emichigancity.com/160/Police.
