Nine New Bloomfield High School students will attend a national conference in Chicago next month to learn leadership skills.
The New Bloomfield students are among 800 students from around the world who will attend the three-day Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) conference from Feb. 18-20 in Chicago.
Students from New Bloomfield High School who will attend the conference are Nicole Dawson, Taylor Howard, Ashley Kelley, Brooke Kelley, Paige Ragar, Nichole Rehagen, Tyler Small, Ethan Veit and Zoe Welschemeyer.
The LEAD conference is a program created by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). The organization administers the National Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society and the National Association of Student Councils.
Participating students will attend workshops on improving leadership skills, problem solving, project planning, fundraising, team building, idea sharing and networking.
The students also will participate in a special session presented by popular motivational speakers.
"The LEAD conferences offer talented young people from across the country the opportunity to sharpen their leadership skills in order to make a difference in their schools and communities," said Dr. Gerald N. Tirozzi, NASSP executive director.
LEAD conferences draw students each year from an average of 23 states. In recent years, the conferences also have attracted a more global audience with student delegations coming from a variety of countries. They have included students from Bermuda, Mexico, Virgin Islands, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Attendance of these groups provides a multicultural networking opportunity for student leaders.