ANDERSON — Thirty-five Anderson high school students have joined the ranks of a national leadership program, and have pledged to make Anderson a better, more youth-friendly community.

“I want to make a difference in Anderson,” said 16-year-old Taylor Martin, executive director of Anderson’s first Talented Tenth Leadership group. “Adults don’t listen to us. This is an opportunity for us to make a difference.”

High schools around the nation have started leadership programs based on a W.E.B. Du Bois idea. In a 1903 article, Du Bois wrote that ten leaders should produce solutions to community problems while producing more leaders.

Anderson’s Talented Tenth leaders decided Thursday night at their first official meeting how they will help improve youth education.

“I want to lower the dropout rates and increase the graduation rates,” said Kavelle Brooks, a 15-year-old Anderson High School sophomore. “And I want to help the crime rate go down.”

After some debate and discussion, the teenage leaders said they will implement after-school programs to tutor elementary and high school students in math and reading. For the elementary children, the Talented Tenth plans to add sports and art.

“It’s been proven that kids who are involved in arts do better in life,” Martin told the group.

After developing community solutions, the Anderson Talented Tenth will create a solution to a national problem. They will present their ideas to members of Congress during a trip to Washington, D.C., next year.

During a three-day leadership conference in late October, the teenagers split into four groups: crime, economics, education and special programming. Those committees will focus on developing projects for their respective topic.

“We talked about the problems in Anderson, and why it was important to change it,” said Martin of the conference. “Because, if we don’t care, who will?”

Martin said the students also learned how to be effective leaders during the conference that was held at Anderson Public Library and City Hall.

“They taught us how to make our voices loud and clear,” she said.

As the group works in Anderson’s community to help others, they have also thrown around the idea of establishing a Friday and Saturday night spot for teenagers.

“If we had something to do, maybe we can keep kids from starting trouble,” Martin said.

Brooks said The Zone, operated out of South Meridian Church of God, is open every other Friday for teenagers; however, attendance has declined because fights have increased and parents are wary. He said having teenagers heading the new hangout spot would reduce fighting.

“If they have kids at the door, we’ll know what the kids were talking about at school and who’s coming there to fight,” he said. “We can stop that at the door.”

Anderson’s Talented Tenth Leadership is the first group throughout the nation to be sponsored by the Justice Department. Jeffrey Cottrell, program director at the Urban League of Madison County, said the group will become a model for future Justice Department-sponsored Talented Tenth groups

However, the Justice Department only provided funds for the leadership conference. Now, the group will raise money on its own for programming. Cottrell said they need the community to help with funds and to support the teenagers.

“In a city that has nothing for youth to do, it would behoove people to support these young people as leaders of the community,” he said.

Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.