NHA Youth Program Fosters Leadership in the Land of Lincoln

LEAD: Spirit of Lincoln Youth Leadership Academy brings young people together from across the state of Illinois to empower them to develop leadership qualities while walking in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln NHA

Jacksonville, IL (July 12, 2019) – Last month, 39 emerging leaders and 7 mentors gathered in the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois to walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln for the weeklong LEAD: Spirit of Lincoln Youth Leadership Academy. These young people visited historic sites associated with the 16th US President to learn about his life and character. Through immersive and hands-on activities, these emerging leaders explored Lincoln’s qualities of leadership—honesty, humility, integrity, and perseverance—and learned how they can develop those traits in themselves.

This is the fourth year of LEAD, a one-of-a-kind residential youth program and the anchor of the Spirit of Lincoln Youth Leadership Academy. The program is a collaborative partnership between the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition (which manages the National Heritage Area) and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site with the mission of empowering youth to become strong leaders in their communities. This year’s participants were incoming 8th graders from around the state who were identified by 4-H University of Illinois Extension and Frontier’s International as having great leadership potential.

This LEAD participant (center) was honored as an outstanding emerging leader.

Abraham Lincoln NHA

Throughout the week, the emerging leaders visited historic sites, such as the Lincoln Home, Lincoln’s Tomb, and the Presidential Library and Museum. They learned how Lincoln and other leaders in his time responded to challenges, and how those individuals were able to bring about positive change in their communities, state, and even the nation. Participants discussed how people in today’s world face many of the same challenges experienced by people in Lincoln’s time. With the assistance of LEAD mentors, the emerging leaders developed concrete plans for strengthening their leadership skills to be able to overcome obstacles in their lives and to help their communities.

Through LEAD and other programs, the Abraham Lincoln NHA is following its legislative mandate to preserve the historic and cultural legacy of Abraham Lincoln. A critical part of that is engaging young people in Lincoln’s story so that future generations will understand the continued relevance of his life and character. Sarah Watson, Executive Director of Looking for Lincoln, explains, “We feel there is no better way to [follow our mandate] than to explore and share the qualities that made Lincoln such a great leader and that will help make those young people great leaders in the future.”

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