WHITMIRE — A new opportunity in Whitmire is looking to prepare youth for the real world by teaching basic principles to be successful in life.
The Whitmire Leadership Academy is setting out to do that by teaching youth entrepreneurial principles at an early age, from as young as eight years old to high school students.
Chris Willingham, certified independent speaker, coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team and owner of Studio 714 Fitness and Self Defense in Whitmire, said while there are normal activities for youth to do in the community, the Whitmire Leadership Academy “is truly educational and not activity-driven, in other words, not water balloons and games, but starting to teach them adult, business, corporate, entrepreneurial principles at an early age.”
The Academy, Willingham said, is an ongoing program and will meet once a week with future plans to incorporate Newberry and Clinton.
“To give you an idea, John Maxwell has written over 80 books, Sometimes You Win — Sometimes You Learn, this is one of his more popular books. It’s written for adults, but what I’ve done is take his adult curriculum that’s meant for businesses and corporations, civic organizations, churches and developed a curriculum that’s specific to kids,” he said. “Trying to set the bar pretty high knowing that these kids are sponges and they are just going to absorb this stuff and latch onto it quickly. By the time they are in high school and getting ready to graduate college, go into the workforce or wherever they are going they will have such a competitive advantage.”
One of the areas that the Whitmire Leadership Academy will teach youth are public speaking skills through hands-on application, according to Willingham.
Twice a year, the John Maxwell Team also has an initiative called the Global Youth Initiative. During the months of April and October the idea each year is to globally try to expose one million kids to leadership principles by going into schools and speaking to youth.
“A lot of practicing speaking in front of a group and once we have the Global Youth Initiative then I’ll be able to take the kids from the Academy to the schools with me and give them the opportunity to stand up to speak to the crowd and really get that experience,” he said. “In October of this year our plan is for Whitmire to host a county-wide Global Youth Initiative event, inviting every kid in the entire county and have guest speakers come in.”
Willingham will also be working alongside Alene Watts who, once certified, will use her experience with kids to help the program grow and develop.
“She’s worked with kids for a long time in different areas so she will be very instrumental in the creative, fun stuff,” he said.
The Academy, ran under the Agape Leadership Group, is tuition-free and those interested can contact Willingham at 803-768-9651, chrisw.jmt@gmail.com or via the Agape Leadership Group Facebook page. Participants can enroll at any time and are not limited to just the Whitmire community.
The Academy will have its first meeting on April 27 from 5-7 p.m. at Studio 714 Fitness and Self Defense, 505 Church Street. Willingham said parents are more than welcome to attend/sit in on sessions.
Mayor Billy Hollingsworth commended Willingham and Watts for their dedication to bettering the Whitmire community.
“I am proud to see the leadership group in Whitmire. Any program to prepare our youth for the future is greatly appreciated. Thanks to Mr. Willingham and Alene Watts for caring and dedicating his time to this program. As mayor of Whitmire this program has my full support,” he said.