The participants for the Youth L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Education and Development) class for 2015-16 have been selected. Leadership Paducah Foundation, Inc. (LPF) and Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce that 26 area youth have been selected to participate in Class #5. Class members take part in a six month educational course that began in October with an orientation retreat and concludes in April 2016 with their graduation at the Paducah Chamber Power in Partnership breakfast.

Youth L.E.A.D. is a program designed to develop and prepare students for future community support and leadership roles in Paducah-McCracken County. Youth L.E.A.D. targets high school juniors in Paducah Independent, McCracken County Public, and the private school systems. The selection of class participants was conducted in partnership by the school administrators and a committee made up of representatives of the boards of the Leadership Paducah Foundation and Paducah Area Chamber. The students spend one day a month for five months learning about human needs and service learning, communication and career development, business and economy, law and government, and health care in Paducah and McCracken County.

            Members of the 2015-16 Class #5 are as follows: 

• Community Christian Academy – Maddy Brown
• PATCH Home School – Layton Estes
• McCracken County High School – Zachary Althouse, Barton Christmas, Bailey Cissell, Brycen Flynn, Joshua Grogan, Robert Hicks, Hallie Poat, Henny Ransdell, Dylan Richard, Sarah Shaikh, Vincent Shiben, Olivia Sin, Will Sivills, Hannah White, Peighton Wix
• St. Mary High School – Olivia Griffin, Karina Romero
• Paducah Tilghman High School – Will Denton, Hunter Grubbs, John Holtgrew, Claire Kelly, Jose Roberto dos Remedios, Bryson Wells, Maddie Ybarzabal 

The selection process includes leadership potential/skills, school activities, community and diversity among schools, ethnicity and gender. LPF is a separate 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.