Thrive Excelsior is turning its focus to the next generation of community leaders with the launch of a new student leadership program centered on civic engagement and community connection.The Student Citizens Leadership Academy (CLA) is a free, two-day program for students ages 14 to 18 in Excelsior Springs, scheduled for June 16 and 17. The academy will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at the waylocal government, businesses and public safety organizations operate.The new academy expands on Thrive Excelsior’s existing CLA, which has enabled adult participants to discover opportunities to engage.“The adult CLA has been incredibly successful at helping community members understand how Excelsior Springs works and inspiring them to get more involved,” said Community Coach Kim Halfhill. “For several years now, we’vewanted to find a way to engage youth in the work that Thrive is doing. The Student CLA is really an extension of that...