Karen Dawson was serving as Leadership Director on the League Board when she formed a partnership with the Franklin County Educational Council to offer leadership training for girls in the public high schools in Franklin County. The LWVMC and the Educational Council co-sponsored The LEADER Institute from 1988 through 1999. The LEADER Institute was 22 hours of training that gave girls in central Ohio valuable leadership training. League members became facilitators and volunteers; they continued their involvement working with the local Educational Council program over the years, as well as in 1999 helping to form the board of a new non-profit 501(C)(3) LEADER Institute, Inc. youth leadership training organization; in 2004, our name was changed to “LeaderSpark, Inc.” and we became a United Way agency in 2010.

This year LEADER Institute/LeaderSpark is celebrating its 25 Anniversary. We plan a Reunion for past participants and facilitators on August 4, at Karen Dawson’s home; and a 25Anniversary Party on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Boat House at Confluence Park. We will be honoring the League’s history with LeaderSpark. We hope that many League members will be in attendance for both events.

If you participated in The LEADER Institute or LeaderSpark, go to the LeaderSpark website to register for the August 4 Reunion: www.leaderspark.org. We hope all League members will Save the Date for October 24, 2013. More information on the October event will be out soon.