July 15, 2011 - Detroit Teens Graduate from Leadership Academy; Program Encourages Youth Leadership and Character
DETROIT. At a graduation ceremony today, 19 young men, ages 14 to 16, from Detroit completed the Michigan State Police (MSP) Youth Leadership Academy in Lansing. The MSP Youth Leadership Academy is designed to inspire teens to recognize their potential, be leaders and mentors in their communities and develop personal character through partnerships with law enforcement.
During the week-long academy, held at the MSP Training Academy in Lansing, officers from the MSP
and the Detroit Police Department served as mentors and classroom instructors. Lessons focused on the "Keys for Character," which include Service, Integrity, Excellence, Courtesy and Pride; teaching the
cadets how to apply these "Keys" to their everyday lives in an effort to have a positive impact on their nation, state, community, schools, homes and personal lives.
Areas of instruction included: physical training, first aid, ethics, military drill, water safety, presentation skills, interview skills, leadership and other team and character building exercises. Cadets also received presentations by the MSP Canine Unit, MSP Precision Driving Unit and MSP Emergency Support Team.
The program also included a tour of the State Capitol and an opportunity to write letters of support to soldiers and letters of appreciation to their families, as well as training modules from the Teaching, Educating and Mentoring (T.E.A.M.) program on the topics of "Understanding Law Enforcement," "Violence has No Place in a Relationship" and "Gangs and Violence ? Problem Solving."
The MSP has been running the academy since 2005. Approximately 650 teens have attended, representing the cities of Benton Harbor, Battle Creek, Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Muskegon Heights, Pontiac and Saginaw. This program is federally funded by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG).
