Conference aims to build leaders

After taking a group of eight Oak Mountain High School students to a leadership conference in Auburn in 2013, John Milton wanted to provide a similar, but free, experience for Shelby County students closer to home. Thus the Oak Mountain Leadership Conference was born. This will be the seventh year for the event, held on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Valleydale Church. Since its inception, the program has doubled in size and reached over 1,500 students. All of the schools in Shelby County will be represented at this year’s conference.

Hosted by the Oak Mountain High Student Government Association and made possible through strategic partnerships with Chick-fil-A Leader Academy and Shelby County Schools, the conference has three goals: to inspire, instruct and impact.

“The first thing we want every student that attends to know is that they are a leader now and can make a difference now,” said Milton, who is the program director for the conference.

The conference is just the beginning of the year-long program of school activities and involvement projects to serve both students and the community. Students at each school in the program work on different leadership skills each month and are challenged to create an impact project by the end of the school year.

“Our overall goal is for students to be empowered to lead positive change in their schools and community,” Milton said.

Having 30 to 40 students represented from each school provides an opportunity for many who may not otherwise be able to attend an event like this.

“Some programs are restrictive in terms of cost or size,” Milton said. “I would say 80-85% that attend this conference would not attend a leadership conference in high school because they are not captain or president or may not have the money or time to do it.”

For more information on the program, visit omsga.com/leadership.