Congressman Hal Rogers
The Center’s youth leadership programs continues Congressman Rogers’ goal that “no young person should have to leave home to find his or her future.” Through Rogers Scholars, Rogers Explorers, and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI) youth programs, The Center helps middle school students through rising high school seniors develop the skills they need to seize their potential as the region’s next generation of business and entrepreneurial leaders.
Rogers, who makes his home in Somerset, is currently serving his 19th term in Congress, representing the people of the Fifth Congressional District in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. He is the longest serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office.
To learn more please visit halrogers.house.gov.
The Roger
s Explorers program is an intensive three-day, two-night program focused on cultivating skills in leadership, technology, math, science, and community service. It is developed, coordinated, and supervised by The Center for Rural Development in partnership with University of the Cumberlands, Lindsey Wilson College, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Asbury University, University of Pikeville, and The Center’s newest partner, Union College. Activities throughout the program are both educational and fun. Classroom projects are very hands-on, so do not expect to be bored! Explorers are able to actively participate in practical college courses, fine-tune leadership skills, and develop a network of friends and resources throughout our Southern and Eastern Kentucky region. Students from The Center’s 45-county service area may apply during their eighth-grade year. If selected, they will attend the program in Williamsburg, Columbia, Richmond, Morehead, Wilmore, Pikeville, or Barbourville during the summer before their ninth-grade year. All lodging, meals, and program expenses (with the exception of transportation to and from the program) are free to the student.
How to Apply for Rogers Explorers-
Welcome to the 2022 Rogers Explorers!
The 2022 application will open on December 1, 2021. You will need to visit https://centeryouthprograms.com/rogers-explorers/apply-for-re/ to complete a form to request the Google Classroom Code for the application. You will receive an email on December 1st when the application opens with the code. Be sure to use a non-school related e-mail since an account with a school e-mail will not work with the google classroom used to organize your application.
For more information, contact Allison Cross at across@centertech.com or call 606-677-6019 OR See Mrs. Amy Reynolds in the TCMS Guidance Office.
Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply, the student must:
- Be a current 8th grader.
- Live in a county located within The Center’s 45-county service area. The forty-five county service area consists of the following Kentucky counties: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Garrard, Green, Harlan, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Taylor, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe.
- Have a strong interest in developing skills in leadership, technology, math, science, and community service.
- Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4-point scale).窶ｯ If your GPA is less than 3.0, you may submit a letter from your guidance counselor explaining any special circumstances that may have affected your GPA and/or why you should be considered for the Rogers Explorers program regardless of your GPA.
Selection Process:
A selection committee consisting of staff from The Center for Rural Development will be established.窶ｯ In order to ensure fairness, applications will be blinded and applicant names removed prior to distributing copies to the selection committee. The committee will review and score all of the applications according to the criteria and point values established for each section. The top two applicants with the highest scores in each county will be selected as that county’s representatives. After those 90 selections are made, remaining students will be selected to fill any open spots. As a result, some counties will have more than two representatives.
All applicants remaining after the initial selection will be considered as alternates and will be ranked from the highest to lowest score. If a selected Explorer is unable to attend the program, alternates will be contacted in order of their rank until the open spot is filled. For this reason, all applicants are encouraged to keep the program dates and the possibility of selection in mind as they make their plans for the summer.
Application Period:
December 1, 2021 – February 28, 2022
