Franklin Roosevelt once said, “We cannot always prepare the future for our youth, but we can prepare our youth for the future.” This is the motto Ted Weise lives by. Known as one of America’s preeminent youth leadership speakers, Weise travels the country teaching students how they can make a difference through a series of activities that foster unity, practice teamwork, and broaden their current friendship base. This past December, Weise met with students from Chesapeake, South Point, Wellston, Oak Hill, Jackson, Vinton County, Dawson Bryant, Gallipolis City, and Gallia County Local Schools. Students were selected to participate by their building principal. The selection criteria varied from school to school, and included representatives from BETA Clubs, Student Health Councils, Student Councils, and afterschool programs. No matter how they were selected, all students walked away from the workshop with new leadership skills, ideas they could put into practice, and something good to talk about in the days, months, and years to come.