Leaders' Club is a year-long program that unites teens through community service, fun and engaging activities and games, fitness enhancement, character and academic enrichment, and volunteer opportunities to help develop them into leaders.
How Leader Club helps? Mentorship, Volunteer hours for scholarships, enhance college applications, Academic support, Career Preparedness, Friendship, Job Opportunities and more!
Ages: 12-18 (Must be 13 as of May 31, 2026)
Meetings: Tuesdays from 6:45-7:45PM, weekly, except holidays/breaks
End of Year Retreat to Blue Ridge Leaders School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeMI7URvTzM&t=2s
What is leaders? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYKL7BT_B4
Club Application/Info: https://ymcaup.org/programs/91/leaders-club/#division_916
South Carolina Business Week awards Four college scholarships totaling $15,000 to deserving students each year. The scholarships are the S. Hunter Howard, Jr. Business Week Scholarship ($5,000), the Ron McNair Leadership Scholarship ($5,000), and two SC Chamber Leadership Scholarships ($2,500 each). Students who receive one of the first two scholarships must attend an in-state college or university in order to receive the scholarship money. Students are required to submit a separate scholarship application, which will be mailed to them once they are accepted into the South Carolina Business Week program.
The only cost to the student will be a $75.00 application fee. The application deadline is April 30, 2025.
Through Student Leaders®, Bank of America recognizes high school students who lead and serve in their own communities and beyond. We connect Student Leaders to tools and resources to help make communities better.
As a Student Leader, you will:
Work as a paid intern at a local nonprofit for eight weeks
Attend the weeklong Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
Develop leadership and career skills
Connect with like-minded students from your own community and across the country
Current Juniors and Seniors:
Apply from October 14, 2024 — January 15, 2025
Visit our Student Leaders page for more information.
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Be the generation to serve, inspire and change
the world
NEW: High School Art Competition
YEC is now offering a new art competition geared toward High School Students. Student artists are tasked with creating a piece of artwork that captures one of the 7 cooperative principles for a chance at winning $300 having their work displayed at our main office for an entire year. Entries are due by April 12th. This is a great opportunity for your artistic students, so please be sure to share with your art teachers and relevant staff. Learn more.
Youth Tour: June 15-20, 2025
Youth Summit: July 14-17, 2025
Application Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025
Washington Youth Tour
York Electric makes it possible for two high school juniors to join dozens of other South Carolina students as part of the Washington Youth Tour — a six-day, all-expense paid educational experience in Washington, DC.
Student must be a high school junior and submit an essay to apply
Cooperative Youth Summit
Experience South Carolina’s capital like never before. Tour the Statehouse, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state’s energy future. Plus, there’s plenty of fun with visits to popular Columbia attractions like Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. York Electric will cover all your expenses.
Student must be a high school junior or sophomore, and submit an essay to apply
Road to Hire is a nonprofit sponsored by Red Ventures. It’s designed to help highly motivated young adults (19-26 years of age) achieve their career goals without a college degree. Instead, you attend a paid, six-month training program. Road to Hire offers training in career paths:
Coding
Cybersecurity
Licensed Practice Nurse Prep
In addition to career specific development, Road to Hire also offers soft skill development courses to make participants highly marketable. They work with companies that offer great career paths and secure futures. Participants are also assigned a mentor who helps guide them through their training and launching their careers. People with a sincere interest in these fields and financial need are most likely to be selected for this competitive opportunity. Learn more about Road to Hire.
If coding is your thing, you can learn to code for free, build projects and earn certifications while you wait until your 19th birthday when you can apply for Road to Hire. Check out Free Code Camp!
Free Cybersecurity Resources
Two virtual computers (one for scanning the other):
Kali Linux with Metasploit to scan attack Metasploitable (vulnerable computer to scan)
VMWare Player and Virtual Box: free virtual software to use with both above
https://pentest-tools.com/network-vulnerability-scanning/tcp-port-scanner-online-nmap
Internet Scanner via website to use on personal internet connection to see how they work. First use Ipchicken.com to determine your personal IP address. Then put your IP address in one of these websites and it will show what internet ports are open to the world.
FTK Imager: free forensic tool to get data off of devices.
Volatility: Free Digital Forensic software. Works very well with lots of free tutorials, lessons, etc.
My CTE Story ~ Business/Logistics
Career and Technical Education includes the 16 different career pathways. This video highlights the business programs available in SC high schools. There are many talented teachers at the three FMSD high schools teaching marketing, accounting, personal finance, computer science, business law, entrepreneurism and much more.
BNA CPAs & Advisors has worked with student interns for more than two decades. They actually look for sophomores and juniors in high school to start as interns and grow with the company. Several of their associates started as young as 16 and have stayed with BNA for 10 years or more.
Emily Gaskins was the second FMSD student to start at 15 years old. In 2018, she was a sophomore at Nation Ford HS when she interviewed and got a paid position/internship. In fact, she did two, semester-long, work-based learning classes in high school. Thanks to technology Emily continued her work while studying accounting at Clemson. She says the best part of her experience at BNA was “the learning experience and wonderful people.”
Likewise, Joshua Scott discovered his passion for this career field in sophomore year of high school at Nation Ford HS. He started by exploring the possibilities in the field of accounting and finance with four informational interviews and then visited BNA where he became an intern with a work-based learning course in his junior year. He did the same in his senior year.
Other FMSD students have done internships with BNA only to discover that it isn’t something they want to pursue. Jason Ackerman at BNA says that’s a win too since you don’t want to continue down a path where you won’t ultimately be happy.
Cyber security is a complex and hands-on topic that can be difficult to learn in the classroom. That's why CyberStart goes beyond textbooks and focuses on fun challenges that allow you to get hands-on experiences with real-world cyber security tasks. Sign up to play by clicking on the image.
Comporium is a company that stays in front of the evolution of technology in the communications industry. In addition to providing voice, video, data, wireless, smart home (security) systems and advertising services; we are transforming the industry with new ventures that includes investment in companies that provide smart devices, connected home/car services and more.
Contact Center Service & Sales Representative – Customer service and sales for Comporium voice, video, internet and security products via phone, email or chat.
Possible Career Path – Contact Center Representative – Retail Store Representative – Sr. Representative - Supervisor
Security Monitoring Agent - Monitor and dispatch security alarms and troubles; communicate with customers, technicians and Law Enforcement, EMS and Fire (911) Officials, as needed
Possible Career Path – Contact Center Representative – Retail Store Representative – Sr. Representative - Supervisor
Residential Outside Sales Representative – Promote and sell Comporium voice, video, internet and security products by calling on existing and new residential customers.
Possible Career Path – Residential Sales Representative – Key Account Executive – Business Sales Representative – Major Account Executive
The DIME program is a free six-week immersion program that allows minority high school students the opportunity to compete (and profit) in an exciting stock market game while also learning about the underpinnings of the capital market system.
There are opportunities to win cash prizes, build new relationships, earn extracurricular credit and receive scholarship awards. Furthermore, our students receive training from some of the brightest minds in the asset management industry! Click on logo to learn more.
Get Into Energy was designed and launched by the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a non-profit organization. CEWD’s goal is to build awareness among students, teachers, military veterans, transitioning workers, and others about the fantastic career opportunities available in the energy industry.
Leadership skills are needed in every industry and career path. Here's an opportunity to get an early start right in our beautiful backyard ~ the ASC Greenway.