Submitted by the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD)
High school students with disabilities can apply to the 16th annual Youth Leadership Forum in July to learn leadership, citizenship and personal skills.
The Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) is accepting applications through June 1.
The forum is designed for students with disabilities who want to be or are leaders in their schools and communities.
“The goal is for students to come away understanding and believing that diversity is the foundation of any successful community,” said Debbie Himes, who has organized the forum every years since its inception.
Eligible youth include:
- Incoming high school juniors and seniors (as of July 1, 2016);
- 2016 high school graduates; or
- Students up to age 21 who are receiving transition services from their high schools.
Students do not have to be receiving services from their school districts to apply.
About 50 students with disabilities will be selected to attend the forum, which will be held at Western Washington University in Bellingham on July 25-30. There is no cost to parents for their student to attend this forum.
The Youth Leadership Forum is a cooperative project of the state Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Services for the Blind, Camelot Society, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Disability Rights Washington and other organizations and individuals.
To apply, visit the GCDE projects page and select Student application and Student information, or contact Debbie Himes by email or phone at 360-902-9362.
