Four local high schools have been named as participants in a federal program that prepares students to become leaders in their schools and community.

Lake Marion High School in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3, Edisto and Branchville High Schools in OCSD 4 and North Middle/High School in OCSD 5 are among the state’s 18 new high schools in the Teen Leaders Evolving and Developing program this year.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School has been in the program since last year and will advise some of the new area Teen LEAD schools.

Selected high school sophomores will receive training, technology equipment, mentoring and financial support to launch their plans for character development and civic engagement in their schools and communities.

Those students will form the school’s Teen LEAD team and be led by a faculty adviser.

Six students from each team will attend a summer leadership program at Clemson University to sharpen their leadership skills.

Past student teams have participated in youth-generated activities such as the Peer Mediation Council, the Pinwheels for Peace Workshop, the Character Counts Community Campaign and Mutual Respect Day, according to a press release from the S.C. Department of Education.

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