Leadership Lexington Class Projects:
The class project is the crucible where Leadership Lexington class members practice and apply leadership skills in a small-group experience, while working on a community project. They work with community leaders, gain in-depth understanding of community organizations and/or community needs and make a positive difference in the lives of others. The project experience also serves as litmus test for success for individual class members and the project groups.
Leadership Lexington 2021-22 Class Projects:
Take Care KY
Take Care KY is a resource to “Take Care” and promote holistic wellness, with a focus on mental health. TakeCareKY.com will provide on-demand, web-based resources for students, parents and teachers to support elementary school children’s mental health. The website will categorize and provide easy access to age-appropriate resources across a variety of platforms.
Lexington's Untold Stories
Lexington’s Untold Stories has held a series of oral history collecting events and research spanning 8 months to gather lesser-known histories about and by underrepresented communities in Lexington to celebrate in our civic spaces. The group contracted with local Historian Yvonne Giles to develop story leads and review information collected for accuracy. A formal partnership was established with the Nunn Center for Oral History at University of Kentucky and guidance from Dr. Doug Boyd helped teammates understand oral history collecting techniques. The Nunn Center will also archive recordings from the project for future public access. Twelve stories that were collected and researched by the team were selected to comprise a portfolio of diverse histories to be considered for representation in our civic spaces. A partnership between Town Branch Park and LexArts will see the project into the next phase, which will include continued story collecting and a request for proposals for artistic interpretation of the stories. Town Branch Park has expressed interest and commitment to having Lexington’s Untold Stories as part of the park opening in 2024 or 2025.
Leadership Lexington 2019-20 Class Projects:
Lexington Day of Service
Originally, this was a project designed to encourage volunteerism through Lexington’s business community by participating in a day of service connecting volunteers with non-profits. However, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic the project group pivoted from their original project idea to the creation of a podcast for nonprofits providing information and resources related to COVID-19.
LexFRESH
The goal of the LexFRESH project was to increase fresh food access and resources to members of the community living in food deserts or are at risk of food insecurity. What began as an idea to develop pop-up farmers' markets at bus stops evolved into developing and publishing a booklet to identify accessible fresh food vendors along each bus route in Lexington. The team is excited to hard-copy and digitally publish Fresh Routes, a guide that identifies fresh food vendors along Lexington's bus routes, as well as provides organization spotlights and resources for further assistance.
Leadership Lexington 2018-19 Class Projects:
DiverCity Festival
One of this year's Leadership Lexington class project groups will present the first annual DiverCity Festival in Lexington. This event is slated to offer an educational experience on our multi-cultural, multi-faceted city, while celebrating YOU! Scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, this festival will be both family-friendly and entertaining, with food, live performances and opportunities to interact with your fellow community members.
Say Yes Lex
Hundreds of Lexington-area youth are on the waiting lists of many mentoring programs for a consistent, positive adult in their lives. Say YES Lex is aimed to work with existing area organizations to increase our city’s awareness of the need for more adult mentors serving and supporting Lexington youth. The mission is to change the lives of Lexington youth - one youth and one mentor at a time. Will you Say YES? Visit Say YES Lex on-line at www.sayyeslex.com, and join us at the Say YES Lex Summit on May 14 at Southland Christian Church (Richmond Road campus) to connect with a mentoring organization. Give Time, Change Lives, Say YES Lex! NOTE: Say YES Lex partners come from Commerce Lexington Leadership Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools Community Partners Leadership Team (CPLT), ONE Lexington and many local mentoring organizations.
LexGetFit
Lexington has a burger week, pizza week, taco week, and now...#LEXGETFIT Week! This new initiative encourages people in and around Lexington to spend the week of June 1-8, 2019, learning about and participating in healthy lifestyle activities and classes. #LEXGETFIT Week will feature an online directory at lexgetfitweek.com with a variety of promotional offers from fitness providers and restaurants, as well as free health and wellness education classes that will be available throughout the community.
Pipeline to Success
“Our children are our future.”
“The key to freedom is education.”
“In life, our latitude is a direct reflection of our attitude.”
Although cliche, all of these quotes are true. However, when you talk to most working class adults, they don’t say it was their attitude that stunted their career growth, it was their lack of exposure to opportunities. A 2018-19 Leadership Lexington class project entitled Pipeline to Success is an eight-week rotational internship designed to offer exposure to high school students in career opportunities in both trades and professional fields. Working with Fayette County Public School’s Success Academy, the initiative aims to show our future generation that there are great careers available in Kentucky that may or may not require further schooling, yet still offer opportunities for growth and success.
Leadership Lexington 2017-18 Class Projects:
State of the Classroom
State of the Classroom announces its first-ever Spring Forum at the new Frederick Douglass High School. Through a keynote address, panel discussion comprised of some of the best education thinkers in our region, and community roundtables, the Forum will foster the kinds of discussions that support reflection and advocacy for education in our community. The Forum is the place for all of Lexington’s leaders and business partners to continue the important conversation of how access to resources and excellent educational opportunities can play a vital role in our city’s growth. For more information on how to become a partner, contribute to the Forum, or advocate for our students and educators, e-mail to [email protected], visit www.StateOfTheClassroom.org, or follow on Twitter and Facebook @SOTCLEX.
PROJECT MEMBERS: Kevin Havelda (project leader); Andrew Owens, Brian Buckner, Ashley Brown, Jessica Byassee, Allison Boyd, Chris Johnson, Adrianne Strong, Morgan Whitney, Elizabeth Whitehouse, and Heather Dieffenbach.
LexGiveBack
#LexGiveBack is a week-long community service project (April 22-28), during which individuals and organizations will be encouraged to engage in acts of compassion toward their fellow Lexingtonians. Mowing a lawn, serving at a soup kitchen, lending a hand, etc. No act of compassion is too small! Visit www.lexgiveback.org for more information, to register, and to find volunteer opportunities. Let’s put our compassion into action!
PROJECT MEMBERS: Kory Wilcoxson (project leader); Nathan Cornett, Emily Hook, Taylor Ballinger, Rob Parmley, Matthew Brooks, Tawanda Owsley, Kim O’Donnell, Lauren Parsons, Liz Sheehan, Jeremy Terry, and Vanessa Grossl.
BRIDGE
Coordinating mentors and mentees to come together for learning, this project pairs mentees from the Lexington Young Professionals Association (LYPA) with mentors from the Leadership Lexington Alumni Association. The project takes advantage of a unique opportunity, as four generations are working together in the workplace, and seeks to establish mutually beneficial mentoring relationships that transfer knowledge, build connections, and create collaboration. LYPA has agreed to be involved in the project moving forward. If you would like to be involved in the future, contact Aaron Rothke (LYPA President) at [email protected].
PROJECT MEMBERS: Wade Haga (project leader); Sarah Bosso, Sarah Enlow, Aaron Meyer, Larry Jackson, Jim Jordan, Cheryl Edmondson, Kevin Paul, Donna Smith, Elizabeth Leatherman and Mike Wright.
Going Pro: Opening Doors to Your Future
A professional career training program for high school students, Going Pro: Opening Doors to Your Future is focused on helping students develop and practice the skills they need to seek and hold a good job, through workshops and mentorship. The group is currently seeking mentors who are available for four half-day sessions over the summer to guide students. They are also seeking sponsors to cover costs of the program, such as workshops, networking luncheon, graduation event, and student stipends. To partner with this group or obtain more information, visit https://goingprolex.weebly.com, or e-mail to [email protected].
PROJECT MEMBERS: Andrew Dieruf (project leader); Olivia Davis, William Downey, Derek Hall, Sabrina Hall, Monica King, Megan Lincavage, Anne Mapson, Lorna Patches, Will Puckett, Liz Roach, Jessica Sanchez, Adam Smith and Callie Tincher.
Leadership Lexington 2021-22 Class Projects:
Take Care KY
Take Care KY is a resource to “Take Care” and promote holistic wellness, with a focus on mental health. TakeCareKY.com will provide on-demand, web-based resources for students, parents and teachers to support elementary school children’s mental health. The website will categorize and provide easy access to age-appropriate resources across a variety of platforms.
Lexington's Untold Stories
Lexington’s Untold Stories has held a series of oral history collecting events and research spanning 8 months to gather lesser-known histories about and by underrepresented communities in Lexington to celebrate in our civic spaces. The group contracted with local Historian Yvonne Giles to develop story leads and review information collected for accuracy. A formal partnership was established with the Nunn Center for Oral History at University of Kentucky and guidance from Dr. Doug Boyd helped teammates understand oral history collecting techniques. The Nunn Center will also archive recordings from the project for future public access. Twelve stories that were collected and researched by the team were selected to comprise a portfolio of diverse histories to be considered for representation in our civic spaces. A partnership between Town Branch Park and LexArts will see the project into the next phase, which will include continued story collecting and a request for proposals for artistic interpretation of the stories. Town Branch Park has expressed interest and commitment to having Lexington’s Untold Stories as part of the park opening in 2024 or 2025.
Leadership Lexington 2019-20 Class Projects:
Lexington Day of Service
Originally, this was a project designed to encourage volunteerism through Lexington’s business community by participating in a day of service connecting volunteers with non-profits. However, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic the project group pivoted from their original project idea to the creation of a podcast for nonprofits providing information and resources related to COVID-19.
LexFRESH
The goal of the LexFRESH project was to increase fresh food access and resources to members of the community living in food deserts or are at risk of food insecurity. What began as an idea to develop pop-up farmers' markets at bus stops evolved into developing and publishing a booklet to identify accessible fresh food vendors along each bus route in Lexington. The team is excited to hard-copy and digitally publish Fresh Routes, a guide that identifies fresh food vendors along Lexington's bus routes, as well as provides organization spotlights and resources for further assistance.
Leadership Lexington 2018-19 Class Projects:
DiverCity Festival
One of this year's Leadership Lexington class project groups will present the first annual DiverCity Festival in Lexington. This event is slated to offer an educational experience on our multi-cultural, multi-faceted city, while celebrating YOU! Scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, this festival will be both family-friendly and entertaining, with food, live performances and opportunities to interact with your fellow community members.
Say Yes Lex
Hundreds of Lexington-area youth are on the waiting lists of many mentoring programs for a consistent, positive adult in their lives. Say YES Lex is aimed to work with existing area organizations to increase our city’s awareness of the need for more adult mentors serving and supporting Lexington youth. The mission is to change the lives of Lexington youth - one youth and one mentor at a time. Will you Say YES? Visit Say YES Lex on-line at www.sayyeslex.com, and join us at the Say YES Lex Summit on May 14 at Southland Christian Church (Richmond Road campus) to connect with a mentoring organization. Give Time, Change Lives, Say YES Lex! NOTE: Say YES Lex partners come from Commerce Lexington Leadership Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools Community Partners Leadership Team (CPLT), ONE Lexington and many local mentoring organizations.
LexGetFit
Lexington has a burger week, pizza week, taco week, and now...#LEXGETFIT Week! This new initiative encourages people in and around Lexington to spend the week of June 1-8, 2019, learning about and participating in healthy lifestyle activities and classes. #LEXGETFIT Week will feature an online directory at lexgetfitweek.com with a variety of promotional offers from fitness providers and restaurants, as well as free health and wellness education classes that will be available throughout the community.
Pipeline to Success
“Our children are our future.”
“The key to freedom is education.”
“In life, our latitude is a direct reflection of our attitude.”
Although cliche, all of these quotes are true. However, when you talk to most working class adults, they don’t say it was their attitude that stunted their career growth, it was their lack of exposure to opportunities. A 2018-19 Leadership Lexington class project entitled Pipeline to Success is an eight-week rotational internship designed to offer exposure to high school students in career opportunities in both trades and professional fields. Working with Fayette County Public School’s Success Academy, the initiative aims to show our future generation that there are great careers available in Kentucky that may or may not require further schooling, yet still offer opportunities for growth and success.
Leadership Lexington 2017-18 Class Projects:
State of the Classroom
State of the Classroom announces its first-ever Spring Forum at the new Frederick Douglass High School. Through a keynote address, panel discussion comprised of some of the best education thinkers in our region, and community roundtables, the Forum will foster the kinds of discussions that support reflection and advocacy for education in our community. The Forum is the place for all of Lexington’s leaders and business partners to continue the important conversation of how access to resources and excellent educational opportunities can play a vital role in our city’s growth. For more information on how to become a partner, contribute to the Forum, or advocate for our students and educators, e-mail to [email protected], visit www.StateOfTheClassroom.org, or follow on Twitter and Facebook @SOTCLEX.
PROJECT MEMBERS: Kevin Havelda (project leader); Andrew Owens, Brian Buckner, Ashley Brown, Jessica Byassee, Allison Boyd, Chris Johnson, Adrianne Strong, Morgan Whitney, Elizabeth Whitehouse, and Heather Dieffenbach.
LexGiveBack
#LexGiveBack is a week-long community service project (April 22-28), during which individuals and organizations will be encouraged to engage in acts of compassion toward their fellow Lexingtonians. Mowing a lawn, serving at a soup kitchen, lending a hand, etc. No act of compassion is too small! Visit www.lexgiveback.org for more information, to register, and to find volunteer opportunities. Let’s put our compassion into action!
PROJECT MEMBERS: Kory Wilcoxson (project leader); Nathan Cornett, Emily Hook, Taylor Ballinger, Rob Parmley, Matthew Brooks, Tawanda Owsley, Kim O’Donnell, Lauren Parsons, Liz Sheehan, Jeremy Terry, and Vanessa Grossl.
BRIDGE
Coordinating mentors and mentees to come together for learning, this project pairs mentees from the Lexington Young Professionals Association (LYPA) with mentors from the Leadership Lexington Alumni Association. The project takes advantage of a unique opportunity, as four generations are working together in the workplace, and seeks to establish mutually beneficial mentoring relationships that transfer knowledge, build connections, and create collaboration. LYPA has agreed to be involved in the project moving forward. If you would like to be involved in the future, contact Aaron Rothke (LYPA President) at [email protected].
PROJECT MEMBERS: Wade Haga (project leader); Sarah Bosso, Sarah Enlow, Aaron Meyer, Larry Jackson, Jim Jordan, Cheryl Edmondson, Kevin Paul, Donna Smith, Elizabeth Leatherman and Mike Wright.
Going Pro: Opening Doors to Your Future
A professional career training program for high school students, Going Pro: Opening Doors to Your Future is focused on helping students develop and practice the skills they need to seek and hold a good job, through workshops and mentorship. The group is currently seeking mentors who are available for four half-day sessions over the summer to guide students. They are also seeking sponsors to cover costs of the program, such as workshops, networking luncheon, graduation event, and student stipends. To partner with this group or obtain more information, visit https://goingprolex.weebly.com, or e-mail to [email protected].
PROJECT MEMBERS: Andrew Dieruf (project leader); Olivia Davis, William Downey, Derek Hall, Sabrina Hall, Monica King, Megan Lincavage, Anne Mapson, Lorna Patches, Will Puckett, Liz Roach, Jessica Sanchez, Adam Smith and Callie Tincher.