By Sharon Dodson, The Center for Rural Development

LeeAnn Grider of Russell County has been selected by The Center for Rural Development to attend the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI) and grow her business and entrepreneurial skills as a representative of the region’s next generation of leaders.

Grider, a student at Russell County High School, will attend ELI during the week of June 13-18 on The Center’s main campus in Somerset, where she will work with business professionals to receive the tools to launch a start-up business.

This year, The Center has expanded enrollment in ELI to give a total of 35 high school students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky a chance to learn more about what it takes to start a business from the ground up by developing their own business plans in a team project.

“ELI focuses on creativity, teamwork, and the development of business skills, and encourages participants to consider starting their own business as a career option,” Jessica Melton, associate director of education and training, said. “As a team, they work together to develop a business plan and present that plan to a panel of potential investors in a business concept competition on the final day of the program.”

Members of the first-place business concept team are eligible to receive a Presidential Scholarship from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Ky. The winning team also will be recognized at the 2010 Excellence In Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) luncheon program on Sept. 13 at The Center.

ELI—one of three summer youth programs sponsored by The Center—inspires students to be creative thinkers, work as a team, and develop critical business ownership skills.

“We’ve had several innovative and potentially successful businesses pitched to the panel over the years,” Melton said. “Their ideas are always interesting, creative, and thought-provoking, and are another great example of some of the talent we have in Southern and Eastern Kentucky among our region’s future business leaders and entrepreneurs.”

High school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors within The Center’s 42-county primary service area are eligible to apply for ELI. Program expenses (excluding transportation costs to and from the host site) are provided free of charge to participants and their parents.

Grider is the daughter of Terry and Deanna Grider of Jamestown.