Vision: Summit Leadership Initiative (SLI) is a nationally recognized not-for-profit organization that delivers quality leadership and diversity awareness programs to empower young people to become change agents in their own lives and the communities in which they live.  SLI program graduates are servant leaders and exemplify the qualities of creativity, social justice and community service.

Mission: By collaborating with educational, business and faith based organizations; Student Leadership Initiative facilitates leadership, diversity and mentoring programs for students.  We work with our partners to raise funds, train facilitators and deliver high quality programs that build leaders committed to personal growth and community service.

We focus on providing the skills kids need to set and achieve goals in the following areas: 

• Mental
• Physical
• Social
• Career - Financial
• Home - Family
• Ethics - Beliefs
  

SLI is based on the Search Institute’s 40 developmental assets, which are positive experiences, relationships, and personal qualities that help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible.

Why do some kids grow up with ease, while others struggle?  Why do some kids get involved in dangerous activities, while others spend their time contributing to society? Why do some youth “beat the odds” with difficult situations while others get trapped?  Research by the nationally recognized Search Institute reveals that the difference between troubled youth and those leading healthy productive lives is strongly affected by the presence of developmental assets.

The Search Institute had identified forty developmental assets, 20 of which come from external sources such as family, school, and adult relationship.  And, there are 20 external assets that are the attitudes, values and competencies developed by each individual child.

From over 200,000 surveys, taken by young people from a broad spectrum of demographics, the Search Institute had demonstrated that the more assets a young person is exposed to the less likely they are to get involved in problem behaviors such as poor school performance, drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, depression and suicide, and violence. 

Conversely, the more likely they are to demonstrate positive behavior that leads to responsible growth and adulthood.  These positive behaviors include resisting dangerous activities, maintaining good health helping others, valuing diversity, and success in school.