Ladders of Leadership

May 13

By AJ Frigillana, Workforce Development Program Manager

“The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” -Nelson Mandela

Cultivating the future of Beacon leadership is at the heart of SFBI’s Ladders of Leadership program. Known as “LoL” to participants and staff, this program is in service of a sustainable workforce and the illumination of career pathways into and through the Beacon network. Wrapping up its 3rd year in May, the 2024-25 cohort brought together high-school aged Beacon alumni from three Beacon lead agencies- Community Youth Center (CYC), Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K). and Good Samaritan Family Resource Center.

Participants worked to cultivate their leadership skills and explored future Beacon careers through hands-on work experience at their sites, including creating a culminating project from start to finish- practicing skills such as team work, budgeting, and facilitation. They also attended monthly workshops focused on topics like skill identification, resume building, and public speaking.

Staff from these CBOs attended monthly work group meetings and led the charge in supporting program participants day-to-day. Staff served as program facilitators, mentors, and trusted adult allies on site. Staff shared that they saw their participants grow over the course of the program. One staff member said, “Ladders of Leadership instills work essentials early on, builds character, and closes the gap where youth can hold spaces of work. [The program] exposes them to collaboration, event planning, work experience, and helps them build confidence.” Another said, “[After participating in Ladders of Leadership] one of my participants felt more comfortable to speak to their peers and share their ideas.” There was even an impact on the staff experience- “[Through the Ladders of Leadership work group] I feel like I have been supported in my journey thus far and love the opportunity to grow professionally.”

Overall, youth participants agreed that Ladders of Leadership not only helped them gain tools and skills that positively impacted their leadership, they also agreed that they became more effective leaders. One participant shared, “I learned to speak up and take control. But also to step back for others.” Another said, “I improved my leadership skills by learning how to communicate better with my peers, and how to listen to everyone before coming to a decision.”

The future of Beacon leadership certainly looks bright!