Welcome back to Unmasking the Heart for Change, where we uncover the real stories behind transformation, one heart to heart at a time. I'm your host, Tammy Winsted, and today's episode is one that feels deeply personal to me 'cause it's not just about change, it's about investing in the next generation of leaders.
Right here in our hometown, we're talking about the Bible Youth Council, a new initiative that represents hope, leadership, and change for our community. We've all heard the phrase, the youth are our future, but here's the truth. Our youth are not just the future. They are the present and it's time. We create space for their voices, their ideas, and their leadership.
So today we're unmasking the heart behind the Blytheville Youth Council, how it came to be, what it stands for, and how you can join us in empowering tomorrow. Blytheville stands at a pivotal turning point. We've watched our population drop from 35,000 to around 13,000. We've seen our school districts face challenges that have led to a full state takeover with new leadership guiding our schools.
The eyes of our community are on our youth to step forward as voices of progress, creativity, and change. But in every season of rebuilding, there's always opportunity and that opportunity begins with our young people. According to the Arkansas Municipal League, youth councils across the state are one of the most effective tools cities have for developing civic leaders with 22 million young people nationwide between the ages of 15 and 19.
Our local investment in youth leadership today is the seed for tomorrow's revitalization of Blytheville. When we teach young people how to lead, how to communicate and how to serve, we don't just prepare them for the future. We prepare Blytheville for a comeback. Our moment is now to prepare them to lead and walk beside them as they discover their own power.
Over the last year, I've traveled throughout the Arkansas Delta visiting cities and hearing about the programs that have made a difference in their communities. One of the very first cities I visited spoke about how creating a youth council helped strengthen their connection between city leadership and the next generation.
When I returned home, I sat down with Mayor Melisa Logan, who shared valuable resources from the Arkansas Municipal League. She spoke with such passion about how her desire to create opportunity for our youth programs that would inspire them, equip them, and give them a voice in shaping Blythevile's will's future.
Together. We began shaping a vision for something that would not only engage our students, but unite our city around a common purpose. Then after attending the Let 'em Speak town hall meeting hosted by healing in the hood, that vision became even more clear. Every single young person who took the mic talked about two things, community and connection.
That's what they ask for again and again, and that's exactly what we intend to build with this program. So what exactly is the Blytheville Youth Council? Well, it's a student-led civic leadership program made up of Blytheville high school students operating under the Daddy Lacey Project 5 0 1 C3 umbrella. This allows the program to have structure, accountability, and a credibility without the heavy lift of form, a brand new nonprofit.
The council will work directly with Mayor Logan's administration, serving as a service arm to the community. Identifying needs, creating solutions and leading projects that serve our community. Students will work together to design and implement service projects that matter to them. Then present those projects professionally to local businesses for sponsorship and support.
This process teaches communication, business planning, and community partnership. The same skills they'll need in any, future leadership role. It's not just a theory, it's hands-on leadership development that builds bridges between youth leadership and our community. Our mission is built on for.
Pillars, empower, equip, guide and Mentor. So let's unmask 'em. Empower is to inspire students to lead with purpose and confidence to see themselves as capable of making a difference. Right now, equip them is to provide the practical tools like project planning, budgeting, presentation skills, and collaboration that turns ideas into action.
Guide, we'll walk beside each student, helping them navigate challenges, celebrate progress, and grow from every experience. And my favorite mentor, to model leadership that builds character, encourage community impact. When students are empowered, equipped, guided, and mentor, they become unstoppable forces for good.
now let's talk about our mission and our vision. Our vision statement is to empower Blytheville's youth as leaders in decision making, civic engagement, education, and economic growth to build a stronger community. Our mission statement is the Blytheville Youth Council empowers young leaders to be the voice of youth in our community by fostering civic engagement, advocating for youth-driven initiatives, and collaborating with local government to create positive change, we strive to enhance industry.
Education and economic development while preserving our city's rich heritage and quality of life through leadership, service, and innovation, we strive to bridge the gap between young people and decision making, ensuring that youth perspectives shape a brighter future for our city.
we are beginning this journey with students from Blytheville High School because we believe our first step starts at home focusing on helping support and strengthen our local district through leadership, service, and school community partnerships.
As the program grows, we envision expanding participation to the surrounding districts, but for now, our priority is home because we believe stronger schools plus strong leaders lead to a strong community. Each project will be developed just like a business, complete with a business plan, a budget, and a sustainability model.
We're not just starting new projects, we're creating lasting impacts. Students will learn how to plan, build, and sustain meaningful work, and by the time a project concludes, they'll have firsthand experience in entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and community collaboration. Skills that will prepare them to thrive right here in blah.
Every project will include a professional pitch to a business partner. Students will stand before local companies present their initiatives and request partnership or sponsorship. Through this process, they'll learn professionalism, teamwork, and the art of advocacy skills that teach them how to lead with confidence and purpose.
For an example, our students may choose as one of their first initiatives, a project that is simple, yet deeply powerful, like micro pantries. This tackles one of Arkansas's largest problems, food insecurity. Micro pantries are small outdoor boxes placed at partnering churches or other civic areas, stock with non-perishable food and hygiene items.
Their slogan says it all, take what you need and leave what you can. It's a compassionate, sustainable way to meet immediate needs while strengthening connections between schools, churches, and businesses. This is how it would work. The youth council could then partner with a local business to initially sponsor the project, Lowe's for material.
They could contact Arkansas, Northeastern College, or local contractors to help build the boxes, then churches to host and maintain them. And lastly, maybe have schools participate by collecting goods for a food drive and outreach. This project bridges the council with schools, churches, and local businesses.
And for sustainability. We could ask local schools to hold theme event nights like popcorn For a purpose, bring a canned good to a ball game and receive a bag, free bag of popcorn. It's a small act with big heart uniting our community around service, compassion, and hope. Now let's talk about what makes this program thrive.
Our local mentors. The mindset of a mentor is very simple. I found this quote, and I think it sums it up very well. My job is to awaken possibility in other people. The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful. Benjamin Zander, that's exactly what mentorship is.
It's helping others find their voice. And mentors are the heartbeat of the Blytheville Youth Council. They bring wisdom, consistency, and encouragement, helping our students believe in their own capacity to lead. Our mentors embody four key values, integrity. Doing the right thing, even when no one's watching dependability, showing up and following through excellence, striving for growth, not perfection.
And my favorite curiosity, asking questions that open doors not being the pathway to no mentorship is about awakening possibility in the next generation of leaders. And in terms of time commitment, mentors will meet virtually with a council bimonthly on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM through Zoom.
We'll collaborate using Microsoft Teams for tracking projects and communication. This encouraged professional collaboration habits that they can carry with them into the workforce. The mentors and the council will communicate through GroupMe for updates and support between meetings. Mentors are encouraged to share their strength as resources, whether it's Microsoft, Excel, public speaking, budgeting, or community outreach.
And each mentor will be asked to share a short 15 minute growth session drawing from personal experiences, like lessons in leadership, resilience, purpose, or even a book that changed your thinking. It's about reaching back and offering the wisdom you wish someone would've shared with you when you were 17.
The youth council will officially begin their launch in January of 2026. Together we can build something lasting. A program that not only gives our youth a voice, but helps them discover how powerful that voice can be. The Blytheville Youth Council will be a visible and active service arm to the mayor and our community, a bridge connecting youth passion with city purpose.
And if you're listening right now thinking, I'd love to learn more about becoming a mentor. That's great because we've made it super simple. There's a Google form link in the show notes where you can click to sign up and receive more information about this mentoring program. Your first step is just one click away from helping shape the future of Blytheville.
And maybe you're not in a position to mentor right now, but you'd love to financially support this mission. We welcome that too. Your contribution can help us provide materials like student swag and resources to make this program shine. Just reach out and we'll get you connected because here's the truth.
Legacy isn't what we leave for people, it's what we leave in them. When we pour into our youth, we're not just investing in them, we're planting seeds of leadership, courage, and pride that will outlive us all. So here's my question for you to reflect on today.
When you think about the leaders who once believed in you. What would it look like for you to now become that person for someone else? Take a moment to sit with that because each of us has something to offer, wisdom, experience, encouragement that could completely change the trajectory of a young person's life.
Sometimes all they need is someone who says, I see something in you. The mentor signup deadline is Friday, December the 12th, and we'll host an in-person meet and greet with our mentors and youth council before the program launches in January of 2026. More details will be shared on that soon, so let's rise to the moment together.
Be the generation that builds leaders, restores faith in our schools and reminds our youth that their voices matter by helping to empower them. Because when one generation reached back to lift another, an entire community. Begins to rise. Thank you so much for joining me today on this very special episode as I unmask a vision that has been close to both Mayor Logan and my heart, empowering the next generation of leaders right here in Blytheville.
If this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who has a heart for service or a passion for youth engagement and empowerment. And remember, Blytheville's Future is already here. It's sitting in our classrooms. It's walking our hallways, and it's waiting for us to believe in them. Let's empower tomorrow together.
Until next time, keep leading with love, serving with purpose, and believing that the best days for Blytheville and for our youth are still ahead. And always remember, change begins within and it starts one heart to heart at a time. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'll see you next time. Bye.
