Year Two in the Books! Sophomore Leadership Program Builds Critical Student Skills

Forest Hills School District’s Aspire Youth Discovery Initiative held its final session of the 2024-2025 school year, wrapping up the program’s second year of providing sophomore students with opportunities to expand their self-awareness, employability and leadership skills. 

The Aspire program is a learning series offered exclusively to select sophomore students at Anderson and Turpin High Schools. FHSD works closely with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce to develop a comprehensive, year-long itinerary where students are able to travel to various “community classrooms” and explore a variety of topics with community leaders. Each monthly session focuses on a different topic, such as communication and problem solving, and exposes them to issues and resources surrounding the topics in an interactive and innovative manner. 

The Aspire Youth Discovery Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Bob and Jeanne Coughlin Foundation and the Forest Hills Foundation for Education. 

Monthly Recaps

October: Introduction to the Program and Team Building

Aspire students visited NewPath Child & Family Solutions where they participated in team building exercises, including a low ropes course. They were also treated to an engaging conversation about developing personal value statements and establishing ways to measure personal progress with Lydia Jacobs-Horton, author of Run, Reach, Respect. 

November: City Planning 

For November’s session, Aspire students traveled to the Anderson Center for a day of experiential learning with various employees of Anderson Township. They learned about the variety of roles and responsibilities of the different entities that keep the community operational and safe, including Anderson Township administration, the planning and zoning department, police, fire, public works and elected officials. 

Following a tour of the Anderson Center and exploring the police, fire and snow removal vehicles, students broke into small groups to design their own township, supplemented by what they had learned throughout the day. Their townships were then scored by Anderson’s planning and zoning department, elected trustees and fiscal officer. 

December: Career Exploration 

The Aspire program visited UC Clermont for the December session. There, students were able to focus on career exploration and critical thinking skills as they completed an in-depth career aptitude and interest assessment, engaged in personality exploration exercises and had the opportunity to take professional headshots. 

January: Creative Problem Solving and Personal Finance

January’s Aspire session tackled the topics of personal finance and problem solving. Students visited Zimmerman CPA Group and Park National Bank to build skills related to budgeting for a first car, understanding tax forms, exploring practical financial concepts and gaining tools to plan for the future. To emphasize what they learned, the students participated in a lively game of Jeopardy (with Starbucks gift cards on the line!) and engaging discussions. Their experience also provided the opportunity to network with real-world experts.

February: Communication 

Aspire students traveled to FHSD Central Office to meet with several professionals who effectively use communication skills to keep the district operational, safe, effective and successful. Then, they walked to the nearby Anderson Senior Center for lunch where they received a tour of the facility, observed various activities offered and enjoyed rich conversations with our community’s senior citizens, giving them the opportunity to both listen and share. 

Students concluded the day at the Anderson Township Fire Station to learn about the importance of communicating with empathy, something these public servants do extraordinarily well each day.

March: Etiquette and Networking

At Ivy Hills Country Club, students began March’s Aspire session with Kevin J. Hardy, the Executive Director of the Office of Career Management at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. He helped students learn the art of a good handshake, writing an effective nametag, developing a unique elevator pitch and applying beneficial conversational techniques. 

Students then participated in a four-course lunch that was prepared and served by Ivy Hills Country Club and guided by Mary Starvaggi with Etiquette Advantage. They learned how to demonstrate proper table etiquette, including how to pass shared items and understanding table settings. Finally, students put what they learned to the test in the afternoon as they networked with a variety of professionals from varying backgrounds.

April: Service Learning

The final session of the school year for the Aspire program was spent in service to the Anderson Township Senior Center. Students first heard an inspiring message from Mr. Bob Coughlin, an Anderson High School graduate who founded Paycor and helped establish the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. The Bob and Jeanne Coughlin Foundation generously sponsors the Aspire Youth Discovery Initiative and makes experiential learning opportunities like this possible. 

After hearing from Mr. Couglin, students performed a variety of tasks around the Senior Center, including groundskeeping, planting, chalking inspirational messages on a new walking path, rock painting, tech support and fellowship through games and activities.

Thank you to our Partners and Sponsors 

The Aspire Youth Discovery Initiative is held in partnership with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and generously sponsored by the Bob and Jeanne Coughlin Foundation and the Forest Hills Foundation for Education. We deeply appreciate the support from our sponsors to provide supplemental learning opportunities for students through this program!

Interested in the Aspire Youth Discovery Initiative? 

Sophomore students who are interested in participating in the Aspire program during the 2025-2026 school year will have the opportunity to apply at the beginning of the school year. A message will be sent to all sophomore families from FHSD within the first few weeks of the school year with application information. Any questions about the program can be directed to Melanie Hartong, FHSD Workforce Development Specialist, at melaniehartong@foresthills.edu.