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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – American Village and Troy University recently announced a new cooperative partnership that will see the presentation of a joint educational leadership academy that is now currently underway.

The inaugural Trojan Patriot Academy seeks to educate a select group of incoming high school seniors from around the state on topics such as leadership, civics and overall U.S. history over the course of a five-night camp.

The camp, which began on June 9 and is set to conclude on June 14, intends to teach these topics all while utilizing the Founding Fathers of the United States as a lens with which to expose students to such leadership practices and developed ideals of citizenship.

“The Trojan Patriot Academy will serve as an outstanding opportunity for our youngest citizens

and future leaders to examine the founding principles of the United States and their own vital role in shaping our future,” said Alan B. Miller, CEO of American Village. “Understanding the challenges that confronted the founders of our nation will allow participants to more fully appreciate the importance and challenges of principled leadership.”

Participants will spend the first two days of the program at the Troy Campus, learning about servant leadership, followed by a trip to Montgomery to meet state leaders and tour the Alabama Statehouse. Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement during a tour of Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum.

“We are grateful for our partnership with the American Village Citizenship Trust, and we are

excited about the difference the Trojan Patriot Academy will make in shaping the next generation of leaders in Alabama,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., chancellor of Troy University. “We believe our nation needs leaders now more than any point in its history. This weeklong academy will help to equip students with the practices and ideals that have made our country great.”

The camp will end with evening and daylong programs at the American Village in Montevallo

where students will take part in an immersive educational experience and receive a firsthand look at the leadership principles that shaped America’s founding.