By State Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis)
Young Hoosiers need our help. We have had an abnormal amount of youth suicides in central Indiana. It is time to open the doors and offer hope to individuals who need it.
Earlier this year, Heartland Intervention founder Scott Watson and I launched a new public awareness campaign highlighting five approaches aimed at preventing teen suicide and saving young lives. One of the five steps was to provide mentorship programs for young Hoosiers.
At-risk youth should be connected with the wide variety of youth mentoring programs available throughout the state of Indiana.
One such program, SPARTA (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Training Academy) is an elite training facility in our community known for fitness programs and sports counseling. SPARTA also offers a mentorship program for junior high and high school students.
Participants go through a life-changing 10-week course with a focus on personal development and organizational leadership.
The process encourages students to think about important questions like:
- “Who am I?”
- “What do I stand for?”
- “What is my purpose?”
- “What are my goals?”
- “Are you a bystander?”
SPARTA’s I5/C5 training program is putting young people on a path to leadership. These teens are finding their purpose and being equipped to not only lead, but to build new leaders.
The main goal of the program is to empower students and provide them with the tools and confidence they need to become young leaders.
As a father of three, I have dedicated myself to helping the state’s teens and young adults. I could not be more excited about the young leaders coming out of this program who will have a positive impact on their families, peer groups, sports teams and community.
I would like to encourage members of our community to take advantage of SPARTA’s leadership program. To contact them for more information, call 842-2933 or visit their website at www.SPARTAindy.com.