What is the The Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute?
The Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute is a state-of-the-art training program designed to teach leadership and community service skills to high school-age students. The program was originally created by Prudential Financial and developed with funding from the Prudential Foundation. In 2004, the program was officially transferred to the Points of Light Foundation and renamed the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute. Youth service professionals who have been certified as trainers of the Institute are currently conducting the Institute in over 40 states across the U.S.

Program Results to Date

There are three major program elements to The Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute. They include teaching the curriculum, planning and implementing the community service project and conducting a graduation ceremony. In addition to the program elements, there are also supporting activities that can assist local trainers in having a successful Institute.

The Curriculum
The Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute employs a specially designed curriculum developed by the Center for Creative Leadership, one of the world's foremost authorities on leadership training. It incorporates the latest methodology for teaching key leadership skills - such as goal setting, team building, project planning and decision making - while emphasizing the importance and means of applying these skills to community service endeavors. The training program consists of approximately 30 hours of classroom instruction, plus hands-on field exercises and a community service project.

The Community Service Project
The service project is a unique part of the Institute that distinguishes the program from similar leadership training programs. The purpose of the service project is to give Institute participants an opportunity to utilize what they have learned from the training curriculum; gain confidence in their abilities to create, develop, and implement a service project, and act upon their social concerns expressed during training. The project can be completed in a single day or over a period of time. It is important to gauge the feasibility of the proposed project for the amount of time and resources trainers are able to devote.

Click here to see some of the community service projects that have been completed through the Institute.

The Graduation Ceremony
The graduation ceremony is an essential element of the program. It is an opportunity for the young people to celebrate their accomplishments and a way for the community to recognize their commitment. The graduation ceremony can be held on the same day as the service project or done as a separate event.