Entering its 22nd year, the 2013 Schuylkill Leadership Class is forming with seminars beginning in January.
Rebecca M. Wagner, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce member services director, said Wednesday that the program started in 1991 and the program has had more than 490 graduates.
"We've been doing really well," she said.
Already 10 people have signed up for the class that starts Jan. 22 and candidates are accepted up until the day before the program starts.
Wagner, who has been in charge of the class for two years, said the average class size is about 18 people and that there is a registration influx after the holidays.
According to the chamber website, the program consists of 10 full-day seminars over five weeks, with an orientation and a graduation at the conclusion of the program.
The sessions cover topics including community and economic development, government, county history, media, leadership skills, education, trusteeship and agriculture and environment.
Wagner said the seminars are conducted by experienced leaders working in each of the fields of interest and are held all over the county.
Some classes have traveled to farms such as Sterman Masser Potato Farms, Sacramento, and the five wineries in the county.
"We have a lot of people that take advantage of it, especially those that are not from the area," she said. "It teaches you a lot about Schuylkill County."
Wagner said another important part of the program is that each year there is a class project for each Schuylkill Leadership Class to leave its own mark on the community.
Projects have included the Class of 2012 working at the Hillside SPCA, Pottsville, and pouring concrete for walkways and the Class of 2011 creating signs for the numerous walking trails in the county and marking them virtually so residents can also find information such as if trails are child friendly or if they would see animals while on the trail.
The earliest projects mentioned on the chamber website include the Class of 1996's Schuylkill Pride Award that recognizes an individual four times a year that goes above and beyond in making a difference, the Class of 1997's Take a Closer Look at Schuylkill County Brochure that marked nearly 50 places to visit in Schuylkill County and the Class of 1998's career guide developed for eighth-grade students to assist them in career planning and course selection by introducing them to career opportunities and the preparations they need to take now for those careers.
Other projects mentioned on the website are the Class of 2007's project of building a pavilion and picnic tables at Sweet Arrow Lake, which was tackled with a combined effort, utilizing the various talents and business contacts of the group, and the Class of 2008 had two projects since there were 27 people in the group and they included a teen room at the Schuylkill YMCA and planting more than 300 trees around the treatment system in Saint Clair.
The Class of 2009 also completed a project at Sweet Arrow Lake.
It constructed an amphitheatre patio and walkway using concrete paver blocks and planted 100 trees in the clubhouse area.
While many who participate in the program are business leaders or members of nonprofit organizations, Wagner said that the program is open to anyone.
"It's a real good education," she said.
At the end, graduates will receive a plaque and a Schuylkill Leadership pin.
Tuition for the Schuylkill Leadership Class is $750, but most participants are sponsored by corporations or organizations.
Tuition for a second candidate from a sponsor is $700 and will be accepted only after all qualified candidates from single sponsors have been enrolled.
The chamber is also offering four scholarships, which Wagner said are not full-paid, but half-paid.
For more information about the 2013 Schuylkill Leadership Class or to receive an application packet, call Wagner at 570-622-1942 or write Schuylkill Leadership c/o Schuylkill Chamber Foundation, 91 S. Progress Ave., Pottsville, PA, 17901.