CCSO launching new youth leadership initiative

Published 3:34 pm Monday, February 27, 2023

Are you ready to L.E.A.D.?

The Carter County Sheriff’s Office is launching a new youth leadership program this summer designed to provide high school students with an in-depth, hands-on look inside the various criminal justice related career pathways.

“I am pleased my office is able to provide an opportunity as unique as this program to the youth of our community,” Sheriff Mike Fraley said. “My staff has been hard at work designing the curriculum for this program to create an immersive approach to learning about the different career pathways within law enforcement and criminal justice.”

Through the Law enforcement Education And Direction (L.E.A.D.) Academy, the students will spend time in the classroom but will get practical learning experiences working alongside professionals from the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies along with specialists in forensic investigations and the judicial system. The program will provide students with educational field trips to locations such as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Knoxville and the site of the former Brushy Mountain State Prison.

In addition to providing the students a chance to explore potential career paths, this program will also have a focus on leadership development and civic service.

The L.E.A.D. Academy will be a two-week summer program open to students at Cloudland High School, Hampton High School, Happy Valley High School, Unaka High School, and Elizabethton High School. Enrollment is open to rising juniors and seniors along with those who graduated this school year.

To learn more about this opportunity, please visit www.sheriff.cc/lead-academy and complete the form to receive additional information.