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.

UK President Dr. Lee T. Todd Jr. joined Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, and U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) Sept. 17 at The Center in Somerset to announce that the university will offer scholarships to rising high school juniors from across Southern and Eastern Kentucky who become Rogers Scholars graduates.

“We are thrilled to have more Rogers Scholars graduates join the University of Kentucky family,” Todd said. “The Rogers Scholars program is an ideal way to teach more Kentucky children how they can make a difference in their communities, and UK is pleased to partner with the program to help our best and brightest stay in Kentucky.”

The scholarships will be made available to qualified applicants who graduate from a one-week summer session of Rogers Scholars held on the campus of The Center. During the summer of 2010, a record 73 students graduated from the program, which focuses on building leadership and entrepreneurial skills in participants as the region’s next generation of leaders. This was the largest class to graduate from Rogers Scholars in the history of the 12-year program.

Named in honor of Rogers, Rogers Scholars—The Center’s flagship youth program—was developed in 1998 as an action step toward meeting Rogers’ goal that “no young person should have to leave home to find his or her future.”

“These scholarships truly bring the dream of the Rogers Scholars program full circle,” Rogers said. “Our students face more challenges and more competition today, so we must remain committed to offering them every possible resource close to home. Thanks to schools like the University of Kentucky, the extra efforts of our region’s best and brightest students are being rewarded in a way that will add to their success. A competitive workforce starts with a well-educated generation.”

“I applaud President Todd and the University of Kentucky for making a commitment to the youth of Southern and Eastern Kentucky through the Rogers Scholars youth leadership program, “ Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “The scholarships awarded by the University of Kentucky will provide a great incentive for the region’s youth to continue their education in the place where they call home.”

Jessica Melton, who coordinates The Center’s Rogers Scholars program, said the commitment from the university represents a significant investment in the future leaders of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

“The goal of Rogers Scholars program is to challenge our students to use their skills and talents to make their home communities and this region a better place to live,” Melton, associate director of leadership and training, said. “The Center shares Congressman Rogers’ vision that we can change this region if we can keep some of the brightest and most talented students in Kentucky.”

Rogers Scholars emphasizes technological skills development and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, leadership, and commitment to rural Kentucky.

During the last 12 years, 732 high school students across Southern and Eastern Kentucky have graduated from Rogers Scholars and been eligible to apply for scholarship opportunities, valued at $7.2 million, from 14 participating colleges and universities in Kentucky, and one university in Tennessee.

Last week, Western Kentucky University President Dr. Gary Ransdell joined Rogers and Lawson at The Center to announce WKU’s partnership with The Center to also offer exclusive scholarship opportunities to Rogers Scholars graduates.

The Center for Rural Development—the Center of Excellence for rural Kentucky and the nation—provides economic and community development programs to residents in a 42-county primary service area of Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and is home to several statewide and national technology-based programs. For more information on programs available through The Center, visit www.centertech.com.

Photo Caption: University of Kentucky (UK) President Dr. Lee T. Todd Jr., front row at left, and U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), front row at right, joined Lonnie Lawson, at far left, president and CEO of The Center for Rural Development, and Jessica Melton, at far right, associate director of leadership and training for The Center, and graduates of Rogers Scholars program on the steps in the front lobby of The Center shortly after Dr. Todd announced UK will begin offering scholarships to Rogers Scholars graduates. The announcement was made Friday, Sept. 17, at a news conference at The Center in Somerset.

“As coaches, teachers, mentors and more, these eight individuals are an inspiration to our students and will help them to achieve their dreams. When our young people know that they have the support of those around them, there is no limit to what they can achieve. I want to encourage each and every student throughout Southeastern Kentucky to participate in this program. The strength of our region is from our people, and I for one want to ensure that our future leaders are recognized for their hard work and have every opportunity available to them” said Rogers.

The Congressional Award District Committee is made up of individuals from all parts of the region with different backgrounds. These individuals will serve as a point of contact for students, teachers, mentors and individuals with questions.
The members appointed to Kentucky’s Fifth District Congressional Award Committee include:

• Jessica Melton, associate director of leadership and training for The Center for Rural Development, board member for Pulaski County
• Ron Daley, senior director of advancement and government relations for Hazard Community and Technical College, board member for Knott, Perry, Breathitt, and Magoffin counties
• Larry Sparks, superintendent for Leslie County schools, board member for Bell, Rowan, Menifee, Harlan, and Leslie counties
• Braxton King, director for The Lord’s Gym, board member for Wayne, McCreary, and Whitley counties
• Scott Parkey, football coach for Rockcastle County High School, board member for Rockcastle and Jackson counties
• Tony Tackett, Pikeville tourism director, board member for Pike, Martin, Floyd, Letcher, and Morgan counties
• Jennifer Carroll, Owsley County instructional supervisor and consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education, board member for Owsley, Lee, Wolfe, Johnson, and Lawrence counties
• Dr. Deann Allen, Clay County instructional supervisor, board member for Clay, Laurel, and Knox counties

The Center for Rural Development provides economic and community development programs to residents in a 42-county primary service area of Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and is home to several statewide and national technology and public safety programs. For more information on programs available through The Center, visit www.centertech.com.