BGCGC Teens Find Their Voices at Summit for America’s Youth

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For three teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati’s Workforce Development Center, a summer trip to Washington, D.C. was about much more than seeing the sights. It was an opportunity to find their voices, meet young people from across the country, learn how to advocate for issues they care about and discover that their ideas can make a difference.

The teens, Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari, traveled to Washington, D.C., July 12-16 to participate in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Summit for America’s Youth (SAY), an annual national youth advocacy experience that brings Club members together to develop leadership skills, connect with policymakers and share solutions to issues affecting their communities.

The experience represented the culmination of months of hard work by the three teens through the Workforce Development Center.

Turning a Passion Into an Advocacy Project

As part of the Summit, participating Clubs develop an advocacy project focused on an issue their young people are passionate about. The process follows BGCA's Think, Learn, Create Change model, giving teens an opportunity to identify a problem, research it, develop a response and advocate for change.

The three decided their focus would be on an area of particular interest for Destiny. Being passionate about students having the ability to advocate for themselves and emotionally regulate, Destiny pitched her idea to the group to study the connection between literacy and emotional regulation. The group decided to proceed, with the goal to better understand how challenges with reading and comprehension can affect young people's ability to understand information, advocate for themselves and manage their emotions. They explored how systemic barriers can contribute to emotional dysregulation and considered what they wished adults and policymakers understood about the experiences of young people.

The project required Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari to go beyond simply identifying a problem. They learned how to conduct research, explore academic articles, gather information from their peers and communicate their findings.

Using iPads provided through BGCA, they interviewed fellow teens and Workforce Development Center staff about their experiences with literacy, emotional development and emotional regulation. They then turned those interviews into a five-minute video that became part of their presentation. They also created small "emotional regulation" kits featuring techniques designed to help young people manage difficult emotions.

For Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari, the project was as much about developing their own skills as it was about raising awareness.

"They got to see the project from start to finish," said Workforce Development Program Coordinator, Imane Halal. "They identified a problem, did the research and advocated for it. Learning that you can affect positive change in your community by setting a goal and working toward it is something we want to instill in every young person."

Finding Confidence in Washington

Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari were selected because of the leadership they had demonstrated at the Workforce Development Center. One of the most rewarding parts of the trip was seeing how quickly they grew more comfortable taking on that leadership role.

Kamari, who had previously been particularly shy, began talking with other Club members from across the country, sharing ideas and making new connections. By the end of the experience, she was confidently presenting her group project, asking questions and engaging with people she had never met before.

The opportunity to connect with other Club members was one of the most powerful aspects of SAY. The event gave teens from across the country a chance to showcase their projects and learn from one another. Other Clubs presented projects addressing issues ranging from gun violence and community safety to food insecurity and youth homelessness. For Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari, seeing the range of projects helped demonstrate that young people everywhere are identifying problems in their communities and finding ways to create change.

"It was almost like a science fair," said Imane. "Everyone was presenting their projects, and our teens could walk around, ask questions and see what other young people were passionate about."

Meeting Leaders and Finding Out They Belong at the Table

The Summit also gave the BGCGC teens opportunities to interact with leaders and policymakers.

They heard from leaders from Boys & Girls Clubs across the country and met other young people who had taken initiative in their communities, including Youth of the Year participants.

Jyelle, Destinty and Kamari also met Congressman Greg Landsman, who represents Ohio's 1st Congressional District. They invited Landsman to visit the Workforce Development Center and tell him more about the work happening there.

A First Trip That Opens the Door to More

The teens’ experience extended far beyond the Summit itself. They explored Washington, D.C., tried new restaurants, visited different historical sites and experienced what it was like to travel to another state together. For some young people, simply leaving their familiar surroundings can be transformative.

The trip also offered practical lessons about adulthood. Jyelle, who hopes to become a lawyer, began thinking about the professional expectations she will encounter in her future career, including how she presents herself and dresses in professional settings.

Perhaps most importantly, Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari learned that they belong in spaces where important conversations are happening. They practiced networking. They spoke with adults in positions of influence and met peers from across the country. They presented their ideas and learned how to advocate for issues that matter to them. These are skills they will carry with them long after their return to Cincinnati.

Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

The Summit for America's Youth represents the kind of experience that makes the Workforce Development Center so important to BGCGC's teens. Workforce development goes far beyond preparing young people for their first job. It can help them foster the confidence, communication skills, critical thinking and leadership abilities they will need to navigate adulthood.

Jyelle, Destiny and Kamari traveled to Washington with a project they had spent months developing. But they returned with something even more valuable: a deeper understanding of their own ability to make an impact.

They saw young people their age advocating for change. They learned how to communicate with policymakers. They discovered how research can become action. And they experienced what happens when adults create space for young people to lead.

One of the best lessons we can teach our members at BGCGC is that they have a voice, that their experiences matter and that they have the power to shape the communities they will one day lead.