YOUth Leadership Academy is March 30-April 1 in Pierre

An upcoming YOUth Leadership Academy in Pierre from March 30 through April 1 will help youth/adult teams learn how to involve young people in community decisions that affect youth.

"YOUth Leadership Academy is a conference for youth and adults who want to participate together in the decision-making process in their communities," said Marilyn Rasmussen, a youth development/4-H specialist for South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension. "Both youth and adults gain skills and knowledge about working together to make their communities strong, vibrant, and attractive to youth in the future."

The event is open to high school sophomores and juniors with an adult partner from a sponsoring organization. Participants will learn how youth/adult partnerships work; gain skills in civic engagement; learn how to involve young people in decision-making; and develop action plans for their organizations or communities.

Registration costs $100 for one youth and one adult partner, or $150 for two youths and one adult partner. The event takes place at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre starting at 6:30 p.m. on March 30 and ending at 10 a.m. on April 1.

Download registration information online at http://4h.sdstate.edu/. Click on "Adults/Volunteers." Or request a registration packet by calling Rasmussen at (605) 688-4167, or by e-mailing her at marilyn.rasmussen@ces.sdstate.edu.

Applications are due by March 3.

Support for the conference comes from Governor Rounds' 2010 Initiative, the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, the Corn Utilization Board, the South Dakota Community Foundation, the South Dakota 4-H Foundation, and South Dakota commodity groups.