The Tipp City Chamber of Commerce just wrapped up their 2026 Teen Leadership Academy (June 1-June 5). This week-long immersive experience in our local businesses, non-profits, government, and legal systems gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the employment/volunteer opportunities right here in Miami County.
The Academy is hosted yearly in June, and students must apply to attend. This opportunity is typically open only to students ending their junior year of high school and heading into their Senior year; however, next year the Chamber will open the experience to Sophomores entering their Junior year as well.
The program is generously sponsored by the Tipp Foundation, Park National Bank, Regal Rexnord, and Abbott. Each day, students travel to different organizations to meet with the CEO, President, leadership, and employees specializing in various aspects of the business.
This year we kicked off the week by visiting Aileron for some leadership coaching with Christy Shell from Zeal Coaching for Life and Careers, followed by lunch and a tour at Concrete Sealants, a tour at Repacorp, then wrapping up the day with a service project- mulching at Kyle Park.
The next day students met at Monroe Federal Savings and Loan for breakfast and a meeting with Vice Presidents, Curt Conley and Doug Thompson, of the company, then they headed to the City of Tipp City Government center where they participated in a Mock Council meeting with Council President Liddy, Clerk of Courts, Janice Bates, and City Manager, Eric Mack. The students heard from City Department Heads, had lunch courtesy of the City, then headed on a van tour with the City’s Human Resources Manager, Amanda Dagley to visit the Electric, City and Parks, and NAWA facilities. They also stopped by the Fire/EMS department and Police department.
On Wednesday, the students learned about Philanthropy with a presentation from Bill Lutz of The New Path, Inc. and worked alongside Dr. Ranft and Richard Bender to select local non-profits to receive $5,000 in grants from the Tipp Foundation. The students attended Rotary for lunch, followed by a scavenger hunt downtown with Tasha Weaver, Director of the Downtown Tipp City Partnership.
Thursday, we traveled to Troy to have breakfast at Level MB, followed by a tour of their beautiful facility, then headed to the jail for a tour. Next, we visited the Maker’s Space and had lunch courtesy of the Miami County Visitors Bureau. The students enjoyed presentations from Dave Larson of the Miami County ESC, Leiann Stewart of the Visitors Bureau, and Scott Myers of the Miami County Parks District. We ended the day by sitting in for a court hearing in Judge Pratt’s courtroom, followed by conversation with Judge Pratt’s team, a defense attorney, prosecutor, victim advocate, bailiff, and a probation officer.
Friday the teens wrapped up their week with breakfast and a tour at Regal Rexnord, followed by a tour of Abbott, then they headed to the ribbon cutting for the Grand Opening of Boston Stoker. Finally, the teens held a presentation at the Tipp Center to hand out the grants that they awarded to local non-profit organizations.
The following organizations received grant funding:
Miami County Dental Clinic, Seeds of Hope OH, The New Path, Inc. (2 awards), Tipp City Enrichment Program, The Edison Foundation, Tipp City Area Arts Council, Brukner Nature Center, Tipp Monroe Community Services (2 awards), and Troy-Miami County Public Library
The week wouldn’t have been possible without the generous sponsors, local community partners who opened their doors to the teens, and the daily leaders who helped transport the teens from location to location. A special thank you to the Tipp City Schools for allowing the Tipp Chamber to borrow a school van for the week!
If you have a student in high school and you reside in Tipp City or Bethel school districts, this is an opportunity they don’t want to miss next year! The application will be open on the Chamber’s website in the coming months. If you’d like to be notified when the applications open, scan the QR code below.
If you are interested in joining the Chamber or learning about upcoming events, give us a call, connect with us on social media, or visit our website: tippcitychamber.org.