Stephens, who has a background in public service and leadership, will coordinate The Center’s three summer youth leadership programs and serve a dual role as community liaison networking with government and community leaders across the region.

“We are excited to welcome Delaney to The Center and our management team,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “He will be a tremendous asset to our youth leadership programs and represent The Center well in Southern and Eastern Kentucky within our 42-county primary service area.”

The announcement comes at a time when The Center is preparing to kick off the 2012 summer sessions of its three youth leadership programs. Stephens will be responsible for coordinating activities for more than 200 middle and high school students involved in this summer’s Rogers Scholars, Rogers Explorers, and Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI) leadership programs.

“These programs have been extremely important to the development of youth in Southern and Eastern Kentucky,” Stephens said. “I am looking forward to continuing the model The Center sets for youth development in our region.”

The Center, a nonprofit organization based in Somerset, Ky., provides leadership and scholarship opportunities for young people in Southern and Eastern Kentucky to seize their potential as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

In addition to his role as youth programs coordinator, Stephens will be traveling across the region meeting and talking with elected officials and community leaders about the diverse programs The Center has to offer in its four focus areas: leadership, public safety, technology, and arts and culture.

“One of the community liaison’s responsibilities is to help communities realize their community and economic development needs,” Stephens said. “By working together, we will be able to create a better quality of life for residents in our region.”

Stephens graduated from UK in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in community communications and leadership development. After graduation, Stephens worked in the tourism industry in the Lake Cumberland area before he accepted the position at The Center.

Rogers Scholars—The Center’s flagship youth program—is an intensive one-week summer session that brings together some of the best and brightest students from within The Center’s 42-county primary service area to develop critical leadership skills as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

“The Center believes in giving young people in our region a chance to receive leadership and scholarship opportunities so they can seize their potential and become effective, skilled leaders,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “It is our goal that many of these students will return to Southern and Eastern Kentucky to build their careers and transform this region for years to come.”

Now in its 15^th year, Rogers Scholars was built on a mission started by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) that “no young person should have to leave home to find his or her future.”

“The program emphasizes the development of technological skills and builds in participants a sense of leadership, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to rural Kentucky,” said youth programs coordinator Delaney Stephens. “We are looking forward to meeting the 2012 Class of Rogers Scholars and working with each participant to develop his or her leadership skills.”

The first group of Scholars will be at The Center June 24-29 for the opening week session. The final summer session is planned for July 8-13.

During the program, Scholars will meet and hear presentations from some of the region’s top business leaders and entrepreneurs; complete a community service project; and receive professional, hands-on instruction from leading experts in one of three top in-demand careers: healthcare, engineering, and video production.

Most of the activities take place on the grounds of The Center in Somerset and other sites in the Lake Cumberland region.

The Center is proud to announce the following high school students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky have been named 2012 Rogers Scholars:

• Elizabeth McGaha—Adair County
• Patrick Toy—Bath County
• Kelly Brown and Jacob Schneider—Bell County
• Courtney Hamblin—Breathitt County
• Allison Clark—Casey County
• Teddy Woods—Clay County
• Jacob Williams and Lamon Hubbs—Clinton County
• Monica Poindexter—Cumberland County
• Michael Witt and Kayla Wolpert—Estill County
• Joslyn Isaac—Floyd County
• Anna Leigh Morrow—Garrard County
• Kelsay Scott, Brianna Scott, and Madeira Curry—Green County
• Haley Cook—Harlan County
• Sarah Gabbard—Jackson County
• Luke Landis—Jessamine County
• Katherine Wells and Matt Barber—Johnson County
• Channing Everidge—Knott County
• Alexander Phipps and Jessica Pope—Knox County
• Scotty Reams—Laurel County
• Brock Finley—Lawrence County
• Ja Cinda Warner—Lee County
• Savannah Sizemore—Leslie County
• Cody Baker—Letcher County
• Morgan Cooper—Lincoln County
• Kourtney Salyer—Magoffin County
• Cassady James and Elizabeth Ward—Martin County
• Brooklyne Chitwood—McCreary County
• Jacob Valerio—Menifee County
• Mandi Rigsby—Metcalfe County
• Mary Madison Lyons—Monroe County
• Chase Turner—Morgan County
• Olivia Bryant—Owsley County
• Mariah Tiller—Perry County
• Courtney Wright—Pike County
• Katherine Stockham, Katherine Citak, Caroline Parker, Rebecca Dunmore, Madison Hatfield, Brittany Pittman, Bethany Cox, Lexie Parks, Ashley Johnson, Shelby Harville, Cameron Cheuvront, and Blake Morris—Pulaski County
• Rebekah Ponder and Madisan Miller—Rockcastle County
• Yulia Perevozchikova—Rowan County
• McKinzie Henson and Madisan Allen—Russell County
• Caleb Wigginton and Taylor Agathen—Taylor County
• Cheyenne Chaney and Daniel Bertram—Wayne County
• Kori Sears and Cai Jackson—Whitley County
• Colby Creech—Wolfe County

Since 1998, approximately 806 high school students have graduated from Rogers Scholars. College scholarships valued at more than $7.5 million are available to program graduates.

Students develop a marketing plan, learn how to read financial statements, talk with state and regional business leaders and more in this one-week program held on the campus of The Center for Rural Development.

The winning team members of ELI’s Business Concept Competition also will receive college scholarship opportunities within the region.

The program is presented tuition-free to students within The Center’s 42-county primary service area.

ELI Application

The 2012 ELI application is now available click here to download (doc).

EKU-President-Dr-Whitlock-Rogers-Scholars-2011.jpg

This summer’s second and final class of 2011 Rogers Scholars has graduated from The Center for Rural Development.

The Scholars—all rising high school juniors—completed the week-long program on July 15 and presented their finished projects in video production, healthcare careers, and engineering to family members and friends in an emotional graduation ceremony held at The Center.

Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, and Lauren Hayes, youth programs coordinator, presented certificates of achievement to each of the 36 new graduates of the program.

“These young people represent our hopes and dreams for the future and are our region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs,” Lawson said. “We commend them on their achievements as Rogers Scholars graduates and encourage them to build their future careers in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.”

A total of 72 high school students from small and rural communities all across Southern and Eastern Kentucky grew their leadership and entrepreneurial skills this summer in The Center’s Rogers Scholars program.

The first class of Rogers Scholars was held during the week of June 26 through July 1, and the second session began July 10.

“I am so blessed and honored to share the Rogers Scholars experience with such amazing representatives from our 42-county primary service area,” Hayes said. “I saw how much potential these students have, and it is such an encouragement to watch them grow and develop into mature adults, but still be kids at heart.”

The Rogers Scholars program—The Center’s flagship youth program—was developed in 1998 to address, and reverse, the high level of out migration suffered by communities within its 42-county primary service area.

The program, inspired and named after U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), is designed to help The Center move toward its vision that “no young person should have to leave their home region to find his or her future.”

“We would not have had this program without the vision of Congressman Rogers,” Robert “Mike” Duncan, a former member of The Center’s Executive Committee, said.

Duncan, keynote speaker at last week’s Rogers Scholars graduation program, served on the Executive Committee from September 1995 through June 2007.

Shortly before the start of the graduation program, Duncan was presented an award by Lawson recognizing his 12 years of service on the committee.

Since 1998, approximately 804 high school students have graduated from Rogers Scholars, and potential scholarships valued at more than $7.2 million have been offered to graduates from 15 participating partner colleges and universities. The University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University are the latest institutions to join that list.

EKU President Dr Whitlock Rogers Scholars 2011

Eastern Kentucky University President Dr. Doug Whitlock challenged Rogers Scholars on Thursday to be a leader in their home communities and across the region.

“Everyone is a leader whether he or she wants to be or not,” Whitlock told the second class of 2011 Rogers Scholars. “Everyone is being watched by someone.”

Whitlock, now serving his 11^th year as president of EKU in Richmond, shared with Rogers Scholars a few simple tips on how to be an effective leader.

In one of his references to a five-point short course on leadership, Whitlock said a good leader does not waste time fighting a losing battle or one that is already won.

Whitlock referred to a line in legendary country music artist Kenny Rogers’ 1978 blockbuster hit, “The Gambler,” saying “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.”

If you don’t know who Kenny Rogers is, Whitlock jokingly quipped, “Ask your parents” or “google his name on the Internet.”

Scholars will finish their work in their declared majors on Friday and get ready for the awards ceremony and graduation program, beginning at 7 p.m., in the theatre at The Center for Rural Development.

Click here to view more photos from Thursday’s activities.

Rogers Scholars working on engineering major

On Wednesday, Rogers Scholars began working in their declared majors—engineering, healthcare careers, and video production—exploring their interests and possible careers in these in-demand fields.

Scholars will give highlights of what they have learned this week and present their completed projects in each respective major at Friday night’s awards program and graduation program, beginning at 7 p.m., in the theatre at The Center for Rural Development.

In yesterday’s engineering session, taught by members of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, Rogers Scholars were building a DC motor, an electrical motor that runs on direct current electricity.

“It has been a great opportunity to be around expert engineers,” said Rogers Scholars Ryan Caudill of Lawrence County.

Caudill took his first engineering class in high school last year, and he couldn’t wait to learn more about engineering during his week at Rogers Scholars.

In the front lobby at The Center, the video production teams spent most of Wednesday afternoon writing their scripts for a short film and getting ready to start filming on Thursday.

The healthcare career team visited Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, where Rogers Scholars got to talk to medical professionals and learn what it takes to pursue a career in the medical profession.

The Rogers Scholars program, celebrating its 14^th year, encourages graduates to build their careers in Southern and Eastern Kentucky and provides scholarship opportunities from 15 participating colleges and universities to help the region’s youth fulfill their dreams.

Click here to view more photos of Wednesday’s activities.

2011 Rogers Scholars met with college and university representatives

Rogers Scholars met one-on-one with representatives of some of Kentucky’s top colleges and universities on Tuesday in a career exploration session held in the Exhibit Hall at The Center for Rural Development.

During this session, Scholars—all rising juniors—had a chance to discuss their career plans and possibly map out a plan of action on where they would like to attend college after they graduate high school.

Each graduate will receive an offer of a college scholarship from 15 participating colleges and universities in Kentucky, and one university in Tennessee.

Later that evening, Scholars attended a formal dinner in the front lobby of The Center, where they received etiquette training and had a little fun on the dance floor learning how to ballroom dance.

Scholars will begin working in their declared majors—engineering, healthcare careers, and video production—on Wednesday in preparation for Friday’s awards ceremony and graduation program.

Click here to view more photos of Tuesday’s activities.

Rogers Scholars at Team Leadership Center 2011

Rogers Scholars Holly Ann Ward of Magoffin County knew the climb to the top of the 55-foot Alpine Tower at the Team Leadership Center in Wayne County would be difficult, but she was determined to reach her goal.

With a positive attitude and words of encouragement from Rogers Scholars team members, Ward conquered her fears and successfully reached the top platform of the tower.

“It was thrilling,” Ward said of the experience. “I got to try something that I wouldn’t get to do otherwise.”

The second class of 2011 Rogers Scholars spent Monday working together as a group to build their leadership skills in a series of team-building exercises led by Norrie Wake.

Reaching the top of the tower, Ward found a small plastic turtle. As in the Aesop children’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” in which the plodding and determined tortoise wins a race against the much-faster yet extremely arrogant hare, she said the turtle represents the moral of the story that “the slow and steady wins the race.”

On Tuesday, Scholars will attend an entrepreneurial training session in the morning and visit with representatives from some of the region’s leading colleges and universities in the afternoon at a career fair. Scheduled activities for Tuesday night include a formal dinner and etiquette training and afterwards a trip around the dance floor for some ballroom dancing.

Click here to view additional photos from Monday’s activities.

But he said his greatest accomplishment is not found in what he has been able to do on Capitol Hill.

Instead, the answer is in smiling faces of the region’s young people—including the graduates of The Center for Rural Development’s Rogers Scholars program—who he charges with shaping the future of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Rogers visited The Center on June 28 to talk to the first of two groups of 2011 Rogers Scholars. Seventy-two rising high school juniors from across the region have been selected by The Center to grow their leadership and entrepreneurial skills this summer as Rogers Scholars.

When asked by one of the students about his greatest achievement, Rogers pointed at the students in the room.

“You’re looking at it,” Rogers said with a smile.

“If we can keep one generation of high school graduates here,” he said, “we can change the face of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.”

Through programs like Rogers Scholars, Rogers is hoping some of the best and brightest minds will not have to leave home to find jobs and will choose to launch their careers back in their home region.

“You are our pride and joy,” Rogers said.

The one-week program, held on the grounds of The Center, provides leadership and scholarship opportunities for the region’s youth and instills in them a commitment to build their lives and careers in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Rogers is currently serving his 16th term in Congress representing the people of the Fifth Congressional District. He is the longest serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office.

For more information about Rogers Scholars and any of The Center’s other summer youth programs, contact Lauren Hayes at 606-677-6000 or via email at lhayes@centertech.com. Visit us online at www.centertech.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/centercrd.