A leadership class for high school seniors that has been offered since 1979 at Lakeland High School, New York, and that is popular with students, the school administration, and the community is described. Described also are the rationale behind the leadership program, the techniques found successful in moving it forward, the community resources that have proved valuable and receptive to the program's efforts, and some of the problems and roadblocks that those running the program have learned to avoid. Thirteen chapters include discussions of (1) the need for such a class; (2) the class goals, which are to better the students themselves, the school, and the community; (3) the class member selection process; (4) the summer workshops to develop camaraderie and understanding of self and school needs; (5) self-analysis exercises; (6) special class projects; (7) the inschool and group project committees; (8) individual projects, assisting charitable, religious, or humanitarian groups; (10) the leadership class teacher; (11) the class's grading system; (12) an evaluation of the Lakeland class's success; and (13) a sample of the class readings. (DCS)