Congratulations to Harlan County High School Sophomore Skylar Rutherford on being selected to the 2026-2027 cohort of the Civic Leadership Institute, a new multi-year program designed to prepare high school students for future leadership in law, government, public policy, history, education, public service, and other civic-minded fields.
The daughter Angela Cornett. She is a member of the HCHS Academic Team, Choir, the lead role as Ann in the upcoming Black Bear Players’ production of “Ann of Green Cables,” stage manager for the “Alice in Winter Wonderland,” Harlan County Schools Superintendent’s Student Council, Gifted and Talented, and a student member of the district’s Portrait of a Learner development team. She is a graduate of James A. Cawood Elementary School, where she was class valedictorian.
The Institute will operate in two locations, the Western Kentucky University Center for Gifted Studies in Bowling Green and the University of Louisville McConnell Center in Louisville.
Skylar will participate in the McConnell Center Cohort at the University of Louisville.
Students were selected through a competitive process that considered academic achievement, leadership experience, civic interests, community involvement, and thoughtful engagement with differing viewpoints.
Participants will attend six Saturday sessions throughout the school year featuring hands-on experiences in civic leadership, government, public policy, historical thinking, communication and leadership development.
“Being selected for the Civic Leadership Institute is a tremendous accomplishment, but I believe it is also a reflection of who Skylar is becoming as a young leader,” said Harlan County Schools Superintendent Brett Johnson. “She has demonstrated that leadership is not simply about having a title or standing in front of a group. It is about being willing to learn, to listen, to ask thoughtful questions, to understand different perspectives and to use your voice and your talents to make your school and community better. Skylar is already doing those things, and this experience will give her an incredible opportunity to build on them. We are proud to have her representing Harlan County.”
Johnson added that “Skylar Rutherford represents exactly what we hope to see in a Harlan County student — a young person who is curious, engaged, willing to lead and committed to making a difference. What makes this opportunity especially exciting is that Skylar will not only be learning about government, leadership and civic responsibility; she will be surrounded by other outstanding students who will challenge her to think more deeply, listen to different perspectives and discover even more ways to use her talents in service to others. We are incredibly proud of her and excited to see where this experience takes her.”
As students progress through the multi-year program, they will participate in increasingly advanced experiences involving policy analysis, mock trials, legislative drafting, media literacy, negotiation, advocacy, networking, and public presentations. Students will also have opportunities to participate in summer programming, with the Institute, ultimately culminating in a senior capstone project in Washington, D.C.
“There are incredible young people across Kentucky who are interested in government, history, law, public policy, leadership, and serving their communities,” said, Dr. Justin Mitchell, founder and director of the Civic Leadership Institute.
“The Civic Leadership Institute gives them a place to come together, challenge one another, learn from leaders in these fields, and begin discovering how they can use their own talents to make a difference,” he said.
The inaugural cohort will meet for its first Saturday session on September 26.
The mission of the Civic Leadership Institute is captured in its guiding statement: Think critically. Lead confidently. Serve purposefully.
The inaugural Civic Leadership Institute drew applications from 37 school district and 54 high schools and academies across Kentucky, an impressive geographic reach for the program’s first year.