This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

FREE Leadership Program and Trip to Colorado for High School Sophomores and Juniors

CREC is now accepting applications from sophomores and juniors for the 30 spaces available in the 2014-2015 Capitol Region Interdistrict Leadership Academy (CRILA). This highly successful and challenging Academy is going into its tenth year of operation and has provided leadership experiences and service learning opportunities to over 300 students in the Greater Hartford area. This is a free program for students. Applications are due March 21, 2014.

Students accepted into the program for the 2014-2015 Academy will: attend a seven day Outward Bound experience in Colorado from June 21 to June 28, 2014; develop and participate in a community service project which will benefit the Hartford area; be able to earn honors high school credit; meet with successful leaders in business, education, politics, health, and the military; be challenged with rigorous discussion and coursework on becoming a great leader; and build their student resume as they prepare for College. “The most important things I learned from CRILA were self-awareness and awareness of others, and this has helped me in countless areas of my life,” shared a student in the CRILA 9 class. “The knowledge you learn from CRILA is unlike what you would learn in a classroom.”

The current 2013-2014 CRILA class includes 30 students from 22 towns and 26 high schools. These students were selected from a competitive pool of applicants from throughout the Hartford region. Applicants should have: the ability to lead, strong academic standing, the ability to work successfully with others, and an interest in and a commitment to community service.

Find out what's happening in Southingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"CRILA was a life changing and life-saving experience,” shared a past student. “The mountains helped me to find myself and figure out the path I want to be on. The staff and classmates were amazing people who I built lifelong friendships with. CRILA is an amazing opportunity for all students, and it will change your life for the better."

Current sophomores and juniors from 35 districts in the Hartford area are eligible to apply to participate in CRILA. Participating towns are: Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Canton, Cromwell, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Manchester, New Britain, New Hartford, Newington, Plainville, Portland, Region 10 (Burlington and Harwinton), Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, Southington, South Windsor, Suffield, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

Find out what's happening in Southingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 More information is available on the CRILA website: www.creccrila.com or by calling Julia Winer, Program Manager, at (860) 509-3666 or jwiner@crec.org. The application can be downloaded online at www.creccrila.com/application.html. All applications must be postmarked by March 21, 2014. 





We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?