21st Century Leaders

06/03/2026

Students experienced "Real Magic" with a day at The Coca-Cola Company on Tuesday of our 2026 Summer Youth Leadership Institute (SYLI)!

Students learned from the legal and marketing teams about:
🤝Intellectual property and talent agreements, with a mock negotiation between "the brand" and "the talent"
🌎Marketing partnerships, licensing, and branding, with insights into collaborations like Sprite x NBA and the FIFA World Cup 2026
👩‍🔬Flavor innovation!

On Wednesday, they learn about finance with Invesco!

06/02/2026

The first full day of our Summer Youth Leadership Institute (SYLI) @ Goizueta was full, indeed!

Start:ME Atlanta, the entrepreneurship accelerator program at Emory University Goizueta Business School, coached student groups to leverage critical thinking and creativity to develop and pitch a social enterprise concept to the "dolphin tank."

Students were introduced to the week's "Leadership Challenge," presented by the Atlanta Beltline Partnership. They will work in teams to design a youth volunteer initiative for the Beltline, and pitch these ideas to judges on Friday!

To round off the day, students got to connect with 21CL alumni in the evening and gain insight from their experiences and leadership!

Tomorrow, they head to The Coca-Cola Company for an experiential day with their legal and marketing teams!

Check out the week's agenda at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/summer-leadership-institutes/syli/.

05/31/2026

It's time for summer! We're kicking off the first of our four summer leadership institutes today!

First up is our Summer Youth Leadership Institute (SYLI @ Goizueta) at Emory University, with 80 students from 63 different high schools and 25 counties in Georgia!

Students at SYLI this week will develop themselves as leaders while connecting with peers and exploring careers and the workforce with this week's program partners: Emory's Goizueta Business School, The Coca-Cola Company, Invesco, Manheim and Cox Automotive, and the Atlanta Beltline Partnership. Thanks also to Delta Community Credit Union for supporting SYLI!

Learn more about all of our year-round leadership programs at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/.

05/29/2026

Our Summer Leadership Team is ready to go! This team of 21CL alumni serves as mentors, guides, trainers, band-aid dispensers, cheerleaders, time managers, and more during our four summer leadership institutes in June!

They know the impact of 21CL because they've experienced it for themselves, and now they are giving back, and they feel oh so good about it!

Our summer leadership institutes kick off on Sunday - let's go!

05/21/2026

Today’s highlights Melanie Harper, a graduate of Marist School (2024) and a pre-med student at the University of Georgia.

Melanie shares about how being part of 21st Century Leaders helped her establish practical, effective leadership skills, identify the industry in which she will thrive, and opportunities to step up as an inclusive leader in real-world environments.

“Thanks to 21CL's independent study modules and exposure to big corporation leaders, I built a solid "toolkit of skills" that made me a better citizen, a trusted leader, and ready to succeed in life.”

Read the post at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/alumni-spotlight-melanie-harper/.

05/21/2026

Help us celebrate Mr. Tim! Not only is today his birthday, but he has also been promoted from Director of Programs and Operations to Associate Director!

With over 20 years of involvement with 21CL (starting in high school as a participant), his passion for youth development is undeniable.

We’re excited for the growth, new learning, and continued impact ahead!

Happy birthday!

05/19/2026

Hear from students who are part of the Fulton County CONNECTED: Youth Leadership Program (CYLP), in partnership with 21st Century Leaders!

Through CYLP, 200 students across Fulton County receive free access to Leadership Connect, 21CL's online learning platform, plus special rewards and opportunities in addition to all of the programs available to them as members of 21st Century Leaders.

Thank you to Fulton County for the support and partnership that makes CYLP meaningful for students!

Watch the story from FGTV (Fulton Government Television) at https://youtu.be/5HFIG-DjRU0?feature=shared.

Fulton County Community Development and 21st Century Leaders celebrated graduates of the Connected Youth Leadership Program during a closing ceremony recogni...

05/18/2026

Leadership Connect is getting a glow-up! We will be moving Leadership Connect to an entirely new platform in the new school year.

New features include social learning spaces, more badges, automations, community groups, in-platform virtual meetings, language customization, and a mobile app! 📲

We are excited for these changes that will make the online learning experience more accessible and engaging.

➡️ Since we will be pausing all Leadership Connect activity to migrate content and user profiles over the summer, students currently enrolled in Leadership Connect will have access up until May 31st. ⬅️

New enrollment will resume in early August.

NOTE: Only full level completion will transfer into the new platform, so if you are in progress within a level, finish that level by May 31st. Otherwise you will have to start from the beginning of that level in the new platform.

05/16/2026

Class of 2026! Don't forget to submit your entry to be included in our Senior Bragbook.🎓

We want to celebrate your transition from high school to post-secondary as a 21st Century Leader. Share your favorite memory and where you're headed next.

There might be other 21CL seniors headed to the same place as you!

The form is still open - https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/senior-bragbook/.

05/15/2026

We're just over two weeks away from our summer leadership institutes with nearly 300 students from across Georgia! Last month, students attending all four of our summer institutes gathered for a Summer Orientation to build community, learn about their institute, and connect with peers.

- Our Youth Ambassadors led a teambuilding session which included writing encouraging notes for students attending other institutes
- 21CL 101 let students know about what to expect this summer and beyond with our year-round programs
- Admissions teams from our summer host campuses shared about their institutions. Thank you to the reps from Emory University, GA Tech, and Kennesaw State University
- Members of our Summer Leadership Team (all 21CL alumni!) + Alumni Board helped lead ice breaker games

Thank you, Georgia Power, for hosting us!

We're looking forward to June!