Future Leaders of Jones County

Future Leaders of Jones County has been a vital part of our community’s growth since its inception in 1991.  A six month development program in which area high school juniors apply, FLJC’s long range goal is to encourage community involvement and educational awareness of the amenities Jones County has to offer the next generation of leaders in our community.

In 1990, Team 4 of the Leadership Jones County Class created Future Leaders. The purpose was to establish a program that would teach leadership skills to a select group of students who met certain academic requirements. Since that time, FLJC has become a prestigious program students seek to be a part of each year.  FLJC was the first community high school leadership program in the state of Mississippi and has achieved much local and statewide praise.

Participants are required to create, organize and execute a community project.  Some projects in recent years have been “Art of Healing”, a campaign designed to assist South Central Regional Medical Center with the sale of local artwork to raise funds to assist patients with medial screenings; and “Leaders in Bloom”, a project to add new plantings and benches for the Senior Citizens Center in Laurel.  These are just a few examples of the many projects that have been successfully completed over the years to benefit the citizens of Jones County.

 In addition to the wonderful experiences the students are exposed to by merely participating in Future Leaders, there is also a financial benefit.  Students are encouraged to apply for one of two full-tuition scholarships exclusively for Future Leaders who have exceptionally completed the program.  These scholarships are made available by Jones Junior College.

Applicants must be enrolled in one of the Jones County School System high schools, Laurel High School or Laurel Christian School. If you are interested in additional information or an application may contact the Chamber Director, Larkin Simpson, at (601) 649-3031 or email larkins@edajones.com.