With more than 150 years of experience, the Youth Leadership Association has been building up generations of youth across Ohio and West Virginia. Tracing roots back to 1867, the organization has nurtured young men and women by inspiring them with the organization's five pillars: Leadership, Character, Service, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy.

The organization, which began as a State YMCA, adopted a more generalized mission in 1992 to help youth develop leadership and citizenship skills for a lifelong commitment to service through character-building programs.

Camp Horseshoe

Camp Horseshoe was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938-39 for the United States Forest Service to be operated by a not-for-profit. Once constructed in 1940, the United States Forest Service turned to the State YMCA of West Virginia, [now the Youth Leadership Association (YLA)], to operate Horseshoe. This partnership continues today at the camp located near Saint George in Tucker County, WV.

Whether it is teenagers at Entrepreneurship or a Leadership Summit or low-income children at the Governor’s Youth Opportunity Camps (YOC), the results are the same: Lives change, and campers return home ready to become their best, help their communities and build a better tomorrow.

Our Scholarship Recipients

All three of our scholarship recipients will be attending the YLA Leadership Summit in mid-June. The students will practice leadership skills in organizations, communication, teamwork, and group dynamics through effective governance. They'll learn how to value doing for others, as well as how to improve their school and community. All the while, the students will be prepared to have fun in this classic camp atmosphere deep in the center of the Monongahela National Forest!

The scholarship of $315 per student, total: $945, was paid by our Rotary E-Club dues with a 50% reimbursement from our District 7545 Grant program.
 

Meet Our Three Students

Meet Morgan Davis

Meet Cole Snyder

"My name is Cole Morgan Snyder. The Morgan comes from the first permanent American pioneer named Colonel Morgan Morgan. I think it is interesting that I am named after a man who is thought to have founded the first permanent settlement in West Virginia at Cool Spring Farm. My paternal grandparents and great-grandparents are all native West Virginians.

 

I am 15 and a sophomore attending Greenbrier East High School. I take honors classes in US Studies and English. Next year, my junior year, I will take AP classes in English and US History with honors classes in Algebra II and a dual credit class in Accounting II. My high school GPA is above 3.9. This year has been difficult because of Covid, and I eventually concluded it was in my best interest to use remote learning at home because of our low instruction/attendance rate. I am an only child with older parents so the time at home has been nice. My school is 35 minutes from our house, one way. None of us miss the time on the road back and forth or the bus.

 

I have attended Camp Lincoln once, 4H for 4 years, and last year YLA Teen Entrepreneurship Camp and then the YLA Youth Leadership Camp. My parents have always paid full price for me to attend. This year is different. I chose only one this year, and I greatly enjoyed my experience at Horseshoe last year. My Dad lost his job before Covid in June of 2018 and my Mom lost her job in May of 2018. My parents refused to draw any unemployment because of pride and because my Dad had a military retirement from 20 years in the military, they decided to start their own Drone company. My Dad's Drone company "Scenic 40 Aerospace" is just getting started which Covid hasn't helped. I thought about not attending any camps this year because I really wanted a yearbook, but my Mom said we would work this out.

 

I guess that is where, hopefully, you come in.  Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to apply for a scholarship.  I promise to have a great time at camp and know I will learn things there. I cannot express my gratitude enough.