Staff members of The Academy of Moore County and Communities In Schools of Moore County (CIS) attended "The Leader in Me Global Summit" held Aug. 4-5 at California University of Pennsylvania.

The two-day summit featured several keynote speakers, including Dr. Stephen Covey, Sean Covey and Principal Muriel Summers of A.B. Combs Elementary School in Raleigh.

"The Leader In Me" program is based on Dr. Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." The program addresses the whole child by teaching students personal leadership and 21st century life skills, a news release said.

The program presents principle-centered approaches for personal problem solving, teaching responsibility and ethics, and impacting students from diverse backgrounds regardless of race, intelligence or economic upbringing. About 250 schools worldwide are utilizing "The Leader In Me" program.

"We use this program as a cornerstone for the CIS Compass Mentoring project at Southern Pines Middle School and Aberdeen Elementary School," said Cynthia Bradley, executive director for CIS. "We have over 200 students using this method with great success in both schools."

Representing CIS at the Summit were Alicia Gatling, Yvonne Petersen and Robin Moore. The Academy of Moore County has chosen to adopt the Leader In Me program beginning with this academic year. Susan Rymer and Gail Cunningham, of the Academy of Moore County, participated in the conference.

As a kindergarten through eighth-grade tuition-free public charter school with a diverse student population of 196, The Academy of Moore County seeks corporate sponsorship to implement the program in its 13 classrooms. Students attend The Academy from Moore, Hoke, Scotland and Richmond counties.

CIS initiatives and programs in the Moore County Schools include mentoring programs, after-school programs, CIS FirstSchool Garden programs and the Community Career Academy.

Anyone wanting more information on Communities In Schools can call Bradley at (910)-295-1072 or visit the CIS website at www.cismoore.org.