Feb. 9, 2026
SPS superintendent encourages students to lead with empathy
High school students from Springfield and five rural schools attended the Youth Empowerment Project Conference 2026, presented by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks on Feb. 4. The annual event brought together about 90 young people to learn about community leadership at Drury University’s Findlay Student Center Ballroom.
In Dr. Grenita Lathan’s keynote address, the superintendent of Springfield Public Schools urged students to find small moments to practice their potential for empathetic leadership.
Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, encouraged attendees of the CFO’s Youth Empowerment Project Conference to find small opportunities for leadership.
“Your voice doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful, and it doesn’t have to be loud to be heard,” Dr. Lathan said. “Leadership is how you treat people when no one is watching.”
Following a tour of Drury’s campus, students from the Springfield, Gainesville and Aurora participated presentations and a panel discussion about community impact and leadership lessons they learned through their experience with YEP.
At left, Rachel Tripp, community impact manager for the CFO, discusses place-based philanthropy and leadership with students from three YEP chapters. From left to right: Cy Griffith, Kickapoo High School in Springfield; Dylan Abraham, Gainesville High School; and Malaya Todd, Aurora High School.
During the conference’s final session, Nia Howard and Bailey Pyle of Centerstone led students through a “Be Well” experience to better understand brain health and develop healthy practices for dealing with the unique stressors of adolescent life.
The CFO’s YEP program is designed to teach high school and middle school students the tenets of philanthropy by participating in grantmaking, volunteering, education and fundraising. YEP currently engages students in 10 regional chapters and one for Springfield’s high schools.
