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Our community's economic future is in dire need of a proactive plan to get our youth to develop the necessary leadership and entrepreneurial skills to improve and enhance the business community in the Rim Country. We lack professional businesses and good paying higher education jobs in our community but have the clientele that could sustain such business operations. We find that our high school students in rural Arizona are behind the eight ball in developing the necessary leadership and entrepreneurial skills to develop and grow these types of businesses. If we provide a mechanism for our youth to acquire such skills, they have a chance at success and know we have their back and can choose to come back to this community to build their entrepreneurial dream. Rotary wants to partner with a locally owned group called Axis Culture Group to bring the first ever Rotary Axis Leadership Academy for a group of 20-30 high school age students from the Payson High School, the Payson Center for Success, and the Payson Christian School. Students will be involved in this academy for 1.5 days and the Academy through instructors will teach the leadership, entrepreneurial, marketing, and business development skills necessary. Trainers with the assistance of Rotary professional members and other local government, schools, and higher education groups from the community will assist in the life skills and professional coaching. The event will focus on dividing the students into teams working with current community business professionals requiring the development of positive team building skills. Each team will develop and pitch a business idea to their peers and community members. They will utilize skills to brand and market their idea as well as develop finance and value to their idea through appropriate budgets and business plans. The Rotary Four Way test will be incorporated into this program to provide the ethical background needed to develop successful business practice and life skills for the future. Students will finish this Academy and will be integrated with other students and community members through four community service days which will include (1) Clean up of main street-selecting a critical area needing attention and will work with other civic groups, the Senior center, and 3-4 vulnerable citizens to fix up a noticeable eye sore of town. (2) Junior for Seniors -provide an activity with a young person and an older individual at one of our Senior Centers (3) Students for Pets- do a local afternoon activity at the Animal Shelter to understand the animal/pet issues of our community, and (4) Students for homeless- preparing toiletry bags for people with nearly nothing, will work with community churches and police to give these out. The outreach of this project will enhance the lives of a minimum of 20 youth, high school age in our community, and our entire Rotary Club membership as well as ten other Community leaders. These young people will have an immediate impact with formal presentations that can be viewed by the student bodies of each of these schools touching over 1000 students. We will involve teachers as well and our community outreach projects will touch about 30 people on Main Street, 20 Seniors one on one contact, another 30 at the animal shelter, and well over 40 for homeless and domestic violence shelters. We have the ability with this grant to touch directly over 1200 individuals in our community which can provide 10-100 times the benefit. Rotary believes in the four Way Test and this Academy and its activities can say to the entire Rim Country-Our Kids Matter and change our community so that entire families can live and work in a prosperous Payson, one for people of all ages. This entire process will have media support from the local newspaper, the local radio stations, and advertised local events and public support from the Town of Payson, School district, and other public and civic groups as well as active businesses. It can truly enhance our economic and community development through education at all ages and stronger conflict prevention/resolution techniques which help our community move forward and grow stronger at all levels right here at home.
Previously in district 5510
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