Valley United Way’s Youth Leadership Program has teamed up with Fairfield University’s Student Government Association to provide a dynamic youth leadership training program for Valley youth. In 1989, the Youth Leadership program was established to prepare the valley’s future leaders to become involved in community service. For the past 14 years the program has been extremely successful. This year, Joy DeMarchis, Director of the Volunteer Action Center, has provided a new dimension to the program.

According to DeMarchis, " The next level of service for the majority of our Youth Leadership members will be to serve as active leaders on college campuses throughout the nation. Our goal is to equip our members with the skills they need to become effective college leaders and eventually continue their service as community leaders in the valley." Youth Leadership members will undergo training each month in the fall by Fairfield University Student Leaders. Topics include The Art of Fundraising, How to Sponsor and Coordinate Successful Events and Leading with Integrity. Kevin Neubauer and Jillian Grant, President and Vice President of the Fairfield University Student Association, (FUSA) will mobilize their student leaders in the fall to present to the 21 Youth Leadership members in the program.

Fairfield University was chosen to partner with the Youth Leadership Program because of the university’s size, similarity in programming and emphasis on community service and involvement. Each year the Valley United Way’s Youth Leadership members are responsible for organizing a benefit concert and allocating funds for teens in the valley. At Fairfield University, one of the largest programs sponsored by FUSA is a concert for students and distributing funds to clubs and organizations on-campus. Kevin Neubauer, President of FUSA and Marc Brumer, President of the Youth Leadership Program are excited about the partnership and possibilities of this program. College student leaders will have an opportunity to receive leadership training from Corporations active in Valley United Way’s Corporate Volunteer Council. They will also serve as mentors to the Youth Leadership Officers and their members in addition to giving them the leadership skills needed when arriving on college campuses.

Click here to read a New Haven Register story about this collaboration.

If you have questions about the Youth Leadership Program call Joy DeMarchis at Valley United Way at 203-926-9478or e-mail her at vac.vuw@snet.net. 

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