Juntos Program has another successful year of community service projects
Cailyn McCutcheon |Leadership Centre County
At Leadership Centre County, we believe that effective leadership is cultivated through the dynamic exchange of information, resources and networking. Since 1992, we have worked to increase the community’s pool of servant leaders and provide our graduates with the tools to make a positive difference in the community.
Each year, LCC accepts applicants for a year-long program and organizes monthly sessions to educate participants on topics of interest in Centre County, such as health and human services, arts, education, and governance.
Participants are divided into groups referred to as “Juntos” and spend a portion of the program year developing and executing a community service project.
Derived from the Spanish and Latin word “to join,” the word “junto” was first used by Benjamin Franklin in 1727 as the title of his club for mutual improvement in Philadelphia. His club members shared a desire to improve themselves, their communities and to help others, all prominent desires in LCC’s Juntos as well.
“We saw this as a way to ensure bonding amongst class members and as a way to get community projects done, and it’s working!” said Georgia Abbey, LCC Executive Director.
LCC first assigned five Juntos in 2016 to complete projects for Penns Valley Youth Center, Housing Transitions, and Boalsburg Military Museum, among others.
Now, in 2018, six Juntos executed service projects for the State College Community Land Trust, Front and Centre Productions Community Arts Center, DADS’ Resource Center, Little Free Library, Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Taproof Kitchen and Centre Volunteers in Medicine.
The Junto group “Centre Force” worked with the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority to refurbish newspaper distribution boxes from the Centre Daily Times into Little Free Libraries. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization working to improve the reading achievement of children by fostering neighborhood book exchanges globally.
The project incorporated a contest with local fifth grade students in which these students designed art projects around the theme “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Read.” The winning submissions were featured on the Little Free Libraries, and the students received a Little Free Library for their schools.
“The project was fun and rewarding,” said Kelly Braun of the Junto Centre Force, “Not only did it help our Junto to gather and work as a team, but it really seemed to encompass the spirit and vision of LCC.”
Braun added that upcycling newspaper boxes will allow books to be recycled throughout the community, educating children within Centre County for years to come.
We are now accepting applications for our Community Leadership Program, Class of 2020. To learn more and apply, visit www.leadershipcentrecounty.org.
Cailyn McCutcheon is a Penn State student and LCC’s Public Relations Intern.
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