About 150 juniors and seniors from 39 high schools in the Central Valley and beyond will attend the first Central Valley Emerging Leaders Summit Aug. 8 to 10 at Fresno State.

The summit was designed to inspire area high school students who have leadership potential and provide tools and strategies to take back and use at their high schools and in their communities. Student applicants were nominated by their high school counselors.

During the free, three-day, two-night camp, students will hear from faculty and community members, engage in hands-on activities, participate in a service project and network with current Fresno State student leaders while experiencing on-campus living and dining. In addition to leadership labs and workshops, students will engage in team-building activities on Tuesday and Wednesday.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the EDGE Challenge Course on campus, students will compete in the marshmallow challenge — building towers out of marshmallows and spaghetti noodles.

From 11 to 11:45 Wednesday in the Peace Garden, students will learn teamwork principles during a demonstration in which students pull more than 100 strings attached to a platform to collectively lift a person off the ground.

“We believe in the students of the Central Valley — our emerging leaders — who come from diverse backgrounds to boldly achieve and make the Valley a better place,” said Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro, who will address the attendees during dinner at the Residence Dining Hall at about 5 p.m. Monday. “Some students have already established themselves as leaders at their high schools, while others have yet to realize their leadership potential. We hope they will feel inspired to take initiative on their campuses and make positive impacts in their communities.”

The students will be welcomed to campus by Dr. Frank Lamas, the University’s vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, at 10:15 a.m. Monday at the North Gym (Room 118).

The concept for the summit was born out of the University’s 2015 Bold Ideas Challenge, in which faculty and staff were invited to submit ideas to improve services to students or enhance processes. A collaborative team including various disciplines across campus then worked to develop the idea and make it a reality.

For more information, contact Eddie Hughes at 559.278.4378 or eddieh@csufresno.edu.

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