21CL connected me with a life-changing internship. In the summer of 2016, I worked at Warner Bros Discovery (formerly Turner)...
21st Century Leaders is Georgia's premier youth leadership and development organization for high school students.
Since 1989, we have provided equitable access to high-level leadership training to thousands of high school students through the partnership and support of business partners and volunteers. We're connecting, transforming, and inspiring the next generation of diverse leaders and talent for companies and communities across Georgia and beyond.
Our Vision
To inspire youth to lead.
Our Mission
To connect, transform, and inspire high school students across Georgia to promote and leverage diversity and inclusion, explore career opportunities, and become leaders in their schools, communities, and ultimately the workforce.
Our Three Pillars
21st Century Leaders provides opportunity and access to all students with our programs centered around three main pillars that unlock students' leadership potential.
Leadership
Development
A leader is defined not by their title but by their attitude, skills, and ability to lead and serve others.
Our programs empower students to unlock their potential by developing the essential soft skills and core competencies required for effective leadership
Career Readiness
Our programs connect students with passionate professionals from diverse backgrounds, providing hands-on experiences and in-demand skills.
This exposure helps them explore career opportunities and post-secondary education while gaining insights into professionalism. We collaborate with over 50 companies and 600 volunteers across various industry sectors to meet workforce needs and support our students.
Inclusion
Our programs inspire and empower students to create an inclusive environment that embraces diversity, belonging, and equity through developing their leadership skills.
All of our programs come at little to not cost and are provided through in-person, school-based, and digital formats, ensuring opportunities and access for every student to reach full potential.
Our Student Values
After attending our programs, our students are empowered to embody these qualities:
Service-Oriented
Resilient
Inclusive
Resourceful
Forward-Thinking
Our Core Competencies
21st Century Leaders' programs are designed to help students discover, explore, and master these seven (7) core leadership competencies that research indicates are needed for success.
Self-Development
Leaders are comfortable being uncomfortable. They are personally committed to learning and improving their skills, attitudes, and abilities. From personal branding to handling criticism, they will possess a positive attitude and share lessons learned with others
Problem Solving
Leaders can effectively define the problem before trying to solve it, seek out forward-thinking solutions, and understand the needs of others before making decisions
Communication
Leaders know how to communicate effectively and are active listeners. They are skilled presenters, but not always the loudest person in the room, can get their message across, and can lean into different communication styles appropriately.
Action-Oriented
Leaders actively seek and create opportunities while being able to adapt to change and recover from mistakes. They can be strategic thinkers, determined, and goal oriented.
Team Building
Leaders recognize and emphasize the power of building effective teams. They foster diverse ideas, create a sense of belonging, and manage conflicts equitably.
Integrity/Trust
Leaders are authentic, compassionate, and honest. Their behavior and actions are in sync with their core beliefs and values and they can be counted on in all situations.
Career Ambition
Leaders know what they want in a career and actively work on it. They have the ability to create career opportunities, make advances, and are dedicated to becoming more knowledgeable, while mentoring others in that same field.
What Our Students Say About Us
"Leadership is an art of managing and developing strategies to be followed in an organization: it thus can be crafted, developed and nurtured. One's level of leadership is not the maximum that he or she can attain; it can be developed further. The success of an organization depends on the quality of leaders; managerial decisions are the driving force of an organization. This organization for me was 21 Century Leaders. This program has allowed me to network and befriend amazing individuals with the same mindset as me. I am more vocal now than ever."
"I have grown up in a small community that I deeply love, but before 21st Century Leaders, I never ventured outside of it. Beginning with my initial 21CL orientation, my worldview was expanded. 21CL has allowed me to be a better leader that values vision, perseverance, integrity, and lasting change. Additionally, I have taken these values to my community to serve it, and along the way, I hope that I have impacted other aspiring leaders as well. However, I think that more than anything, 21CL has allowed me to realize my potential. I could have never even imagined being where I am today without the initial spark that 21CL began in me. Now I know that we are never too young to begin achieving goals and generating a wave of positive impact in our local and global communities."
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In the News
Alumni Spotlight: Tonia Brown
The program taught me the core qualities of leadership—confidence, humility, professionalism, and resilience. Through 21CL, I learned that leadership is...
Alumni Spotlight: Shannon Wiggins
21CL taught me the importance of networking, building connections, and being confident in myself. Developing those skills has helped me...