JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The clock is ticking for First Coast teenagers to apply to a program one Jacksonville man says gave him leadership skills that changed his life.
The deadline is Friday for middle and high school students to apply to Sandy Miller Metrotown Leadership Institute, where diversity and leadership are the names of the game. Jacksonville nonprofit OneJax has hosted the program for almost 40 years.
"I wish every teenager could experience Metrotown!" said Lisa Drew, youth coordinator with OneJax.
Drew says every student in the three-to-four day program is accepted for who they are.
"It is bringing kids from all parts of the city together to learn about one another and hear different perspectives and ideas and viewpoints," Drew said. "We want them to understand who they are as individuals. We want them to feel seen and heard and loved."
Those feelings are especially important now as CDC data shows a higher number of high school students consider suicide and LGBTQ young people are especially at risk. Federal statistics also show an increase in school shootings and cyberbullying over the last decade.
"If a student feels good in their skin and who they are, they feel like they can do wonderful things in their world," Drew said.
One Metrotown alum who says he gained leadership skills as a teenager at Metrotown that helped him get to where he is today is the man who opened Jacksonville's Historically Black College and University-inspired elementary school on the northside. First Coast News introduced you to him last year.
"You'll see the big brown bear and you'll be surrounded by nothing but love," Cameron Frazier, executive director of Becoming Collegiate Academy, told First Coast News in October.
Molding teen leaders to go back to their schools and show their peers what acceptance and leadership looks like is Metrotown's goal.
"Our goal is to help them see what they can do and create positive change in the world when they leave Metrotown," Drew said. "They can do amazing things."
This is the first time in over a decade Metrotown won't be affiliated with the University of North Florida. OneJax leaders say it will not be different.
OneJax announced their split from UNF in March as Governor Ron DeSantis vowed to remove diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from Florida universities. Leaders say OneJax fully returns to its nonprofit status in July.
Metrotown Middle will be held June 20 to 22 at OneJax's offices on West Adams Street in Jacksonville. Metrotown Leadership Institute for high schoolers will be held July 17 to July 20 at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church.
Each program can hold 50 students, considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students have to be referred by a sponsor such as a parent, teacher, counselor, clergy member or community leader.
The registration fee is $50 for the middle school program and $100 for the high school program and this includes lunch, snacks and dinner on the last evening. Some scholarships are available.
OneJax describes the program this way: "The goal of Sandy Miller Metrotown Leadership Institute is to promote respect and understanding among all people. This goal is achieved through small group discussions and workshops, creative and artistic expression, recreation, outdoor experiences, and personal reflection on our diverse community."