Youth Corps 9 Module Process
Youth Corps is a nine-month experience where students participate in nine different modules beginning in August and concluding in May of the next year. Students gain hands-on experience and opportunities to learn, think and lead. Each module is comprised of 3-4 sessions per month led by top community leaders in their fields.
August
Leadership Weekend
Students begin their experience with a weekend leadership camp owned by Clemson University that engages participants in team-building, personality tests and leadership challenges while teaching them a simple model of leadership that they will carry with them the rest of their lives. Clemson University helped develop the Leadership Weekend Experience through their Youth Learning Institute.
September
Arts & Culture
Students are engaged by arts organizations, local artists and experience how the arts enhance and enrich our community and our state. Students will grow in their leadership through creativity and learning to express themselves. Leadership principles are developed through evenings focused on dance, pottery, poetry and is an amazing display of self-discovery and allows students to break through comfort zones in a judge free environment. It's amazing how the arts can help expose the inner leader in young people.
October
Philanthropy & Non-Profits
Students grow in awareness and understanding of the challenges and issues that face our community and the role that the nonprofit sector plays. Students join hands with local nonprofits to learn how to contribute to the community. Students grow in humility, empathy, and civility by serving others in their communities.
November
Crimes, Victims, & Justice
Students will be able to get the big picture of the criminal justice system, interact with judges and police officers, see the inside of a jail, interact with inmates and meet with residents “behind the fence” at DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice). Students will be involved in the community through helping victims of crime through local shelters.
December
Media & Journalism
Students experience what it feels like to be live on the set and interact with television, print, and other media journalists. Students will be able to expand upon their own personal communications skills by writing a story for a newspaper and creating their own commercial at the state’s largest movie studio.
January
Legislation & Government
Students continue building on their civic skills by experiencing how the legislative branch of government works by meeting with legislators, helping to support an actual bill to be passed by personally contacting their legislator, and learn how a citizen can become involved as a legislative advocate. Students spend a day at the state capital debating real current legislation, engage and lobby legislators, and have lunch at the Capitol City Club a private club with legislators and government leaders. It is an incredible experience in state government.
February
Business & Economics
Students will plan, develop and implement a business venture including product development, raising capital, purchasing and marketing a product for a profit. Besides earning their own profits, past teams have impacted the community by also significantly contributing to various charities and nonprofits by donating funds from their business proceeds. This is the most intense module of the year, where students gross on average $25,000 worth of business and give back 10% of those proceeds to local charities shaping them to become young philanthropists that many carry into adulthood.
March
Investment & Finance
Students will learn the basics of finance, investment and money management by establishing and managing a budget, exploring strategies for investing profits from the students’ own business venture, stocks and plan for their financial futures. This module is led by top financial community leaders from local banks, national banks and investment firms.
April
Career & Higher Education
Students will be exposed to a variety of career options, explore the educational path required to obtain those careers, and what skills are necessary to open doors for future success through partnerships with the University of South Carolina, Prisma Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina and now Northeastern University in Boston.
May
Graduation
Students will be exposed to a variety of career options, explore the educational path required to obtain those careers, and what skills are necessary to open doors for future success through partnerships with the University of South Carolina, Prisma Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina and now Northeastern University in Boston.
