BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
School starts in less than a month, but instead of hitting the beach nearly 300 high school students from across the state are spending the week at LSU for the 42nd annual Louisiana Youth Seminar.
The camp started back in the early 1970s to help college-bound teens improve their leadership skills. Senator Mary Landrieu was a delegate back in 1972. She came back to welcome this year's group to what she calls a life changing week.
"The program really hasn't changed that much in 40 years. Same songs...a little different, you know, movements...dance movements," SAID Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.
While a few dance steps might have changed over the years, Landrieu says one thing has stayed the same; he Louisiana Youth Seminar is a great experience that all teens should have.
The weeklong camp helps the delegates, as they are called, get the foundation they need to become better leaders.
"Learning how to speak publicly, learning how to solve problems as a team, pulling an all-nighter to get the job done," SAID LANDRIEU.
Rontrevius Foreman, a third year delegate, say it has helped him to become a better version of himself.
"I was so shy. I was so cut-off and to myself all the time, and when I came here it opened my mind to the world and it opened my mind to be who I am," said Foreman.
The delegates were pumped up to see Landrieu. Her message, how much this program has helped her during her successful political career.
"It makes me feel like I'm doing something right. Whenever I go forward in the future, I'll have so many skills. And I'll be able to say, hey, it started for me at the Louisiana Youth Seminar," said Kristie Braud, another third year delegate.
Landrieu says she is honored to continue to be a part of such a program. A program, she says, is grooming the next leaders of Louisiana and the nation
"Here this is high school kids... Their first opportunity to meet kids from all over the state and hopefully learn about our state, and more importantly, to learn about themselves," said Landrieu.
The Louisiana Youth Seminar board also honored Landrieu with the first ever "Outstanding Delegate Alumni" Award.
For information on how you can get your teen involved in the LYS, click here.