21st Century Leaders

21st Century Leaders

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21CL is Georgia's premier youth leadership and talent development program for high school students. Our vision is to inspire youth to lead.

Founded in 1989, 21st Century Leaders (21CL) provides year-round leadership development, diversity and inclusion training, and career exploration programs for high school students. Programs range from one-week summer leadership institutes, an interactive and gamified online learning platform, school-year leadership summits, school-based clubs, and workshops all little to no cost to ensure every student has access to high-level leadership development programs.

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/26/2026

On Wednesday of our Healthcare & IT Institute, students visited the Wellstar Health System Kennestone Regional Medical Center for more hands-on learning!

They learned about the Volunteen program before touring departments like trauma where they practiced wound care basics, the operating room (OR), and CyberKnife (cancer treatment and robotic radiosurgery).

In the evening, students practiced their professional dining etiquette and networking skills with guests at the Leadership Dinner, where a dynamic panel shared leadership and career wisdom.

To end the day, students showed out with a talent show!

On Thursday, they head to Piedmont Atlanta for an exploration of clinical careers and leadership.

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/24/2026

On Tuesday of our 2026 Healthcare & IT Institute, students spent the day with LocumTenens.com at their offices!

Students toured the workplace and learned about medical staffing and "matchmaking" between healthcare needs and healthcare workers.

Students also got to work in groups to create and pitch an innovative marketing plan for a mobile app that will serve both job seekers and employers.

In the evening, they gained insights from a 21CL Alumni panel and time to network.

On Wednesday, they head to Wellstar Kennestone Medical Center!

06/24/2026

Join us for the Leaderboard at TPC Sugarloaf on Monday, November 16th, 2026!

Leaderboard, presented by MarketSource and our Board of Directors, is our annual golf fundraising event to raise awareness and support for our youth leadership development, career exploration, and inclusion training programs for Georgia’s high school students.

On behalf of event co-chairs Anqi Zou and Maranie Brown, we are excited to host the Leaderboard at a new location this year: TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, GA!

Registration is now open for sponsorships and teams, with early bird pricing through 7/31.

View early bird sponsorship levels and register at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/press-events/leaderboard/.

We’ll see you on the green!

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/23/2026

On Monday of our Healthcare & IT Institute (HII), students spent the day with Wellstar Health System at their Vinings Health Park.

They toured the health park and heard from executive leaders about leadership and values. Then they got to play with the DaVinci 5 surgical robot and explore personal health and fitness as it ties into wellness.

In the afternoon they also learned about the burn program and gained insights from a young professional career panel.

Then, students were introduced to the week's "Leadership Challenge," presented by Mercer, a Marsh Company. They will work in teams to develop a solution to a challenge faced by the healthcare industry (such as the digital divide and the gap between healthcare workforce supply and demand), and pitch these ideas to judges on Friday!

On Tuesday, they head to LocumTenens.com to learn about staffing, talent development, and the healthcare provider landscape across communities!

Check out the week's agenda at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/HII-2026-Working-Web-.docx.pdf.

06/21/2026

Today we kick off our fourth and final summer leadership institute of 2026!

We are welcoming 75 students from 54 different high schools and 18 counties in Georgia for our Healthcare & IT Institute (HII) at Kennesaw State University!

Students at HII this week will develop themselves as leaders while connecting with peers and exploring healthcare careers and the workforce with this week's program partners: Wellstar Health System, LocumTenens.com, Piedmont, and Mercer, a Marsh Business!

Check out this week's agenda at https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/summer-leadership-institutes/healthcare-it-institute-hii/.

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/19/2026

On Wednesday of our Film & Entertainment Institute, students explored leadership and workforce readiness with program partner Insight Global!

With networking and panels with employees, a tour of the IG offices including fitness room and photography studio, and connections between personal and professional branding and belonging in the workplace, students gained insight into their futures.

On Thursday, we close out the institute with Leadership Challenge presentations!

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/17/2026

On Tuesday of our Film & Entertainment Institute, sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery, students got hands-on and on-screen experience with studios and production.

First, they got to engage with WBD employees and learn about careers and industry insights with a panel of junior production assistants and speed networking.

Then, they toured Techwood Studios, where they stepped into the shoes of the production and talent crews inside the CNN and TCM studios.

In the evening, students practiced their business etiquette and conversation skills at the Leadership Dinner where they networked with guests and gained wisdom from a dynamic leadership panel.

To close out the day, they enjoyed bowling and bonding time!

On Wednesday, they head to Insight Global for a day of professional development and more career exploration.

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/16/2026

On Monday of our Film & Entertainment Institute, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, students tuned in to an exploration of the media industry and their connection to it.

They learned about the company and its divisions, pathways to the workforce from an early career panel, and got professional headshots taken to use for their personal branding!

Then they were introduced to this week's Leadership Challenge, a marketing campaign they will work on in groups and present to judges on Friday!

In the evening, students gained more leadership and career advice from a 21CL alumni panel.

On Tuesday, it's all about production with studio tours and insights!

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

06/15/2026

On June 14 we kicked off the third of our four 2026 summer leadership institutes!

We welcomed 55 students from 43 high schools and 19 counties for the Film & Entertainment Institutes (FEI), sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery at The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA!

Students at FEI this week will develop themselves as leaders and storytellers while connecting with peers and exploring film, media, production, and entertainment with program sponsor Warner Bros. Discovery.

Did you know that Warner Bros. Discovery has been the sponsor and partner of 21CL's media-focused summer program since 2006? That's 20 years!

This week, students will also learn more about personal branding and professional development with program partner Insight Global.

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

Photos from 21st Century Leaders's post 06/13/2026

On Thursday of our 2026 EarthCare summer leadership institute, sponsored by Georgia Power, students cared for the earth with a service project at a local farm in Milledgeville!

Students visited Comfort Farms, where they learned about heirloom farming, livestock raising, and the farm's purpose of healing military veterans through farming, environmental stewardship, and community. They got to be farmers for a day with hands-on learning and service!

For the other half of the day, students learned about how they can make a difference as leaders through a leadership workshop.

On Friday, they present their Leadership Challenge solutions and celebrate a transformative week!

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Address


115 New Street, Ste B
Decatur, GA
30030

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm