Youth Schedule

Let’s kick off Summit with some fun! Get to know other youth from the YVC Network with icebreaker games.

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Imagine this: You have a job, but no reliable transportation to get there. You’ve finally saved enough to cover rent—only to have your belongings stolen. You’re forced to make impossible choices: Do you pay for food or utilities? How do you keep your job, feed your children, and stay afloat? For many families living in poverty, these tough choices are a daily reality. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) is an interactive experience that puts you in the shoes of someone living with limited resources. You’ll face real-life challenges—like finding transportation, keeping a job, and caring for your family—all while trying to stay afloat. This simulation helps you understand the struggles low-income families face and encourages you to think about how we can create change in our communities.

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When adults hear about children and teens experiencing homelessness, it’s easy to add it to the list of issues that we see all around us in our world today. But when kids hear about this, they say “how can I help?”. Learn about HALO, a nonprofit that provides the foundation of a family for youth without one that began with kids helping kids, and put your compassion into action with hands-on service project ideas and opportunities that empower youth in your community to make the world a better place through tangible and impactful volunteer projects!

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This interactive session brings youth and adults together to explore mental health in ways that build understanding, reduce stigma, and strengthen connections across generations. Through shared stories, engaging activities, and practical tools, participants will gain insights into the unique challenges each group faces, while also discovering the common ground we all share. Attendees will leave with strategies for better communication, supportive listening, and actionable steps to promote mental wellness in their homes, schools, and communities

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Join KC Water for a hands-on learning experience about our drinking water and wastewater cleaning process, and the impact of stormwater in our city. We will discuss topics over the issues of pollution in our city, human impacts on our water resources, and a demonstration of the volume of stormwater runoff. Finally, we will cover some solution-driven practices known as Best Management Practices to help protect our waterways and improve overall water quality.

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What happens when personal ideologies are challenged by another? What does it mean to be civil in response and how do we actually “act” in a civil way? Participants will walk away from this workshop with tips and tricks on having bridging conversations and an intrinsic spark to develop the value of seeking competing perspectives on important topics. During our time together, we will engage in activities and conversations (of all sorts!) to explore American Public Square’s mission and whether there is value in a shared agreement to disagree not less, but better. We recommend youth in this workshop to be ages 16 and up.

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This engaging session helps young people understand how their digital presence shapes real-world opportunities. From Instagram to LinkedIn, every post tells a story about who you are. Participants will explore how to create a positive online image, avoid common pitfalls, and use social media to highlight their talents, leadership, and community involvement. Interactive examples and short exercises will show how to transform your feed into a reflection of your best self because your digital footprint is your personal brand.

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Join YVC Board of Directors member, Vicki Clark to learn methods on navigating burnout as a youth as well as learn self-care methods.

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Break from 2:45-3:00 PM

All YVC youth will join together to hear from three different leaders, their journeys, and lessons on autheniticy and never giving up.

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