The Capital Area Student Leadership program encourages students to become active, effective participants and future leaders in their schools and communities through exposure to historical, cultural, environmental and civic aspects of the Greater Concord area.

Through an application process, 26 local high school sophomores were selected for the 2018 class.

Over the past 24 years, CASL has graduated more than 650 sophomores representing a dozen area high schools.

Last Wednesday, the group held its communications day at the Concord Monitor, where they gave speeches, listened to guest speakers and did fun interviews with each other.

Over these two pages, you’ll get introduced to half of this year’s class, with the final 13 to appear in the March 27 issue of the Insider.

So make sure you keep an eye out for the rest.