Steel Valley High School Student Council Kicks Off Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Programming

The Steel Valley School District is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and proud of its long, productive relationships with local businesses and community organizations. Those core beliefs united on Wednesday, September 25 as 25 Steel Valley High School students began their participation in the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, a national high school leadership program empowering students to make an Impact Through Action.

Waterfront Chick-fil-A restaurant operator Michael Osborne and human resources representative Brittany Allen visited the high school on Wednesday to meet the students and explain more about the program. Sponsors Shawn McCallister and Beth McCallister shared some background on why student leadership matters and detailed how the students will be making an impact over the next few months.

Throughout the 2024-25 school year, the high school students will be partnering with Chick-fil-A Leader Academy to participate in curriculum opportunities that teach students important leadership skills to help make a difference in their community. Through the year-long curriculum, students learn timeless leadership principles like teamwork, communication, and innovation by engaging in monthly “Leader Labs.”

These principles are put into practice when the students plan and execute an Impact Project benefiting their local community, such as a fundraiser for a local homeless shelter or a can drive for a local food bank. The students don’t just learn about leadership in the classroom, they live it out by serving and making an impact.

“Through Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, we aspire to develop and empower the next generation of leaders to have a positive influence in their local communities,” said Brent Fielder, senior director of corporate social responsibility at Chick-fil-A, Inc. “The partnership between Steel Valley High School and the Waterfront Chick-fil-A restaurant represents a shared commitment to fostering essential leadership skills in today’s students so they can ignite change and create lasting impact in the future.”

The students will serve as school ambassadors and mentors through various programs and initiatives, including through existing partnerships and events with the Best of the Batch Foundation and the Special Olympics. They’ll also create new ways in which to make an impact in the community. Their work began Wednesday morning as the students wrote positive notes to Steel Valley elementary students and then packaged those notes with a collection of books that will be delivered to the elementary schools.

Since the inception of Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, over 228,450 students have participated, positively impacting over 3 million people in local communities across the country. The program is fully funded through generous sponsorships from local Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators, Chick-fil-A, Inc. and Coca-Cola. To learn more about Chick-fil-A Leader Academy visit chickfilaleaderacademy.com.