Editorial: Leading the leaders of tomorrow

On Friday morning, just a bit past dawn, nearly 100 students from Burbank, Glendale and La Cañada took part in the 30th iteration of the Youth Leadership Conference. As in years past, the conference was hosted at Glendale Community College and put on by the Character & Ethics Project. (Full disclosure: Editor Dan Evans sits on the group’s board.)

During the six-hour program, students and adult mentors listened to local leaders — including Glendale Police Chief Robert Castro, Glendale City Manager Scott Ochoa, GUSD Supt. Richard Sheehan and BUSD Supt. Jan Britz — provide insight into dealing with conflict, making hard choices and leading a diverse team.

But perhaps just as importantly, they also worked on listening exercises, and debated the hot issues of the day. One group spent the better part of an hour debating the message behind “American Sniper,” and the challenges of working ethically with a person, group or nation whose values and morals differ from one’s own.

As Castro said during his keynote talk, the adults in the room have no true understanding of the pressures and dangers facing today’s teenagers. We simply didn’t have those issues, but neither did we have the opportunities nor the technology. But we do have experience, and many of us know the sting of bad choices. By sharing our knowledge, today’s high schoolers may become wise beyond their years, applying the lessons of the past to our increasingly complex present.

It is things like the Youth Leadership Conference that create these opportunities. May it continue for decades to come.