A new public service institute for high school students will launch in Little Rock and Fort Smith this July in partnership with the Clinton School.
Recognizing the need to provide high school students with formal public service training, the Noble Institute will center its agenda on providing these students the skills necessary to make a public service impact in their communities.
A Gallup Student poll released in January reported that student engagement in elementary school is 76 percent but drops to 44 percent in high school.
“If we were doing right by our students and our future, these numbers would be the absolute opposite,” according to the Gallup report.
The Gallup Student poll also notes, “Among the many types of students whose engagement wanes during their time in the educational system are those who have high entrepreneurial talent.”
“Clearly the demand exists at the high school level to increase opportunities for engagement,” said Chad Williamson, a Clinton School graduate and former high school teacher helping organize and launch the Institute. “Noble Institute will provide a unique environment that will harness the energy of service and entrepreneurship that exists in high school students today.”
As a summer program, the Noble Institute will be modeled on the successful curriculum already implemented at the Clinton School. Similar to the processes and skills developed at the Clinton School, students at the institute will participate in hands-on, collaborative projects that identify and address real-world community challenges.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Clinton School alumni and it’s exciting for us to see Clinton School graduates elevating the importance of public service among young people,” said Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford.
Courses at the Institute will be taught by a variety of instructors, including academics, professionals from around Arkansas and Clinton School alumni. The official launch will be in Little Rock from July 8th-20th and a second offering will be in Fort Smith from July 22nd-August 3rd.
To apply, students can go to http://noble.is
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