JLCA - Junior Leadership & Career Academy

06/03/2026

Welcome aboard, Junior Leadership and Career Academy Class XI, presented by OG&E! 🎉

We are proud to welcome 32 outstanding students from across Sebastian County as they begin their journey in the 11th year of the Junior Leadership and Career Academy.

Throughout the coming year, these young leaders will explore career opportunities, develop leadership skills, and gain valuable experiences that will help shape their futures. We are excited to watch them learn, grow, and make an impact in our community.

Congratulations, Class XI! The future is bright, and we can't wait to see all that you accomplish. ⭐️👏🏼

04/23/2026

Such a special group of students! Congratulations, Class X! ✨

03/26/2026

03/26/2026

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Education Selection Committee has been hard at work over Spring Break to select the Class of 2027! 📚👏🏼👀

03/25/2026

Sponsoring the JLCA - Junior Leadership & Career Academy program gives students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, learn more about Fort Smith, and instill pride in their hometown!

The goal of Junior Leadership & Career Academy (JLCA) is to teach and mentor a group of high school freshman on effective leadership skills and community pride. Students will be introduced to potential employers, business leaders, as well as community leaders in our region.

Help us make an impact on Fort Smith's future workforce! Email Grace Wilmath at [email protected] for more information.

Thank you to our Class of 2027 Presenting Sponsor, OG&E!

03/06/2026

#31 different shades, #31 different ways of remembering the JLCA Class of 2026! 😎

03/05/2026

That is a wrap on the Class of 2026, presented by OG&E! 👏🏼

We celebrated our time together, recapped what we have learned, created some fun shades to remember our experiences, and closed the day with Mock Presentations of our group projects for Commencement… 🤩😎📚🎤

It is a pleasure to watch the growth of the Junior Leadership students each year, which is all made possible by our great supporters of the program!

Presenting Sponsor: OG&E
Platinum Sponsors: AT&T, Silgan Plastic Food Containers- Fort Smith AR
Annual Lunch & Break: Georgia-Pacific & Dixie
Gold Sponsors: ABB Motors and Drives US, First National Bank of Fort Smith, Hytrol, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, RightFiber

02/09/2026

Submit your application today to join the fun! 👏

02/05/2026

Junior Leadership & Career Academy goes to college… and careers! 👏🏼

Yesterday, we covered Higher Education and Workforce Development in the River Valley. Students explored life at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, and heard from Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus about associates and technical degrees for HIGH PAYING JOBS! 💰

We spent the afternoon at Peak Innovation Center hearing from the Air Force, our Presenting Sponsor, OG&E, and wrapped up the day with a presentation from Dr. Kim Gordon at the UAFS Center for Economic Development on presentation tips for our upcoming group project presentations.

A big thank you to our Lunch Provider, Raising Cane's, and Russell Herren for an amazing motivational speech for our students! 🐔🎉

The program is made possible by our incredible annual sponsors…

Presenting: OG&E
Platinum: AT&T, Silgan Plastics
Gold: ABB, First National Bank, Mercy, Hytrol, RightFiber
Annual Lunch and Break: Dixie / Georgia-Pacific