Leadership Education Conference

Students watch as their teammates attempt to complete the Minute to Win It Challenge during the 2011 Leadership Education Conference.

Project Reach students from Beatrice Rafferty School put the finishing touches on their cardboard boat during the Captain's Cup at LEC.

Students exchange ideas for community service and fundraising projects with their peers from other JMG programs around the state during LEC.

JMG Specialist Brian Threlkeld (far right) and his students from Portland High School display the cardboard boat they made for the Captain's Cup.

Winslow High School JMG Specialist Becky Lambert (crouching, 2nd from right) seems confident their boat will win the Captain's Cup.

Students celebrate that their boat is still floating after South Region Manager Katy Foley (in the water) adds a second cinder block to it.

JMG COO Neal Williamson adds another weight to a cardboard boat, but unfortunately the boat sinks.

Students work together to safely navigate the Triangle Traverse element on the low ropes course at LEC.

Students form a "pipeline" using pieces of overlapped PVC pipe to move a marble as far as they can without dropping it.

Project Reach students work together in team-building initiative "Hurricane's ‘A Comin'" during LEC.

Gaining skills that will last a lifetime...

The Leadership Education Conference (LEC) is an overnight event at the YMCA Camp of Maine in Winthrop for JMG and Project Reach students who have been elected to serve as officers (president, vice president, etc.) of their Career Association or Project Reach Council.

Through a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, students develop leadership skills, learn cooperation, build confidence, gain trust in each other, and promote teamwork.

Activities include a cardboard boat building challenge, a chance to plan their community service projects and fundraising events for the year, low ropes course activities, team-building initiatives, a Project Management workshop led by volunteers from Bank of America, and a reflection exercise.

The goal of this event is for the students to tap into their leadership potential, develop a good group dynamic that will last throughout the school year, and cultivate a sense of trust and respect with their teaching Specialist.