Flagler teens learn leadership traits

Historic City News learned that a group of 26 Flagler County middle school students are being tapped for leadership roles in their respective schools and this week they completed a rigorous training schedule to prepare them for those roles.

The elite group of upcoming 8th graders participated in a four-day Leadership Training Camp at Camp Blanding which culminated with a graduation ceremony Thursday night at Matanzas High School.

“These are youngsters who now can serve as role models in their schools,” said Flagler County Sheriff James L. Manfre. “Every student who participated in this camp should be proud of this accomplishment.”

The purpose of the camp was to provide local youth the opportunity to experience a class on leadership dealing with discipline, exercise and teamwork. As graduates, these 13-year-olds are expected to provide leadership in their respective schools and serve as liaisons with the school administrators.

Students from Buddy Taylor Middle School and Indian Trails Middle School participated in the camp; which was offered through a cooperative effort of the Flagler County School District, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and Flagler Sheriff’s Police Athletic League.

The camp is an intense four-day training session that starts each morning with physical training. From there, the campers headed to the classroom for instruction and then more physical challenges later in the afternoon.

Staff from the school district and the sheriff’s office supervised the camp and taught the instruction sessions.