In this icebreaker session, participants will engage in a series of activities that demonstrate the physical, psychological, emotional, and social benefits of movement, physical fitness, and teamwork through games and challenges that allow them to tap into effective communication, problem solving, leadership, and achievement.  The 90 minute session will engage participants, challenge them to better understand their physical and psychological needs, and encourage them to incorporate physical fitness routines in their daily lives to promote healthy living and balance fitness with their other priorities.

Limited to 25 participants. In this workshop, participants will explore the values, beliefs, and priorities that shape their everyday lives and consider how technology influences the ways they think, communicate, create, and connect with others. Through a combination of guided discussion, reflective writing, movement-based activities, and audio recording, participants will have opportunities to slow down, listen to themselves and one another, and examine their personal relationships with technology.

Discover how the YVC of Reading STAR (Stand Together Against Racism) initiative empowers young people to create more inclusive schools and communities.  Through a short documentary and youth-facilitated talkback session, participants will explore the origins of STAR, its ongoing impact, and why its mission remains as important today as ever.

Join the Youth Mental Health Ambassadors from YVC of Reading for a recorded performance of At Some Point, a youth-driven mental health play created through conversations, surveys, and listening to the voices of young people, families, and community members.  The play explores challenges many young people face today, including mental health stigma, feeling alone, struggling to ask for help, and the importance of open and honest conversations—while sharing the powerful message: You are not alone.  Following the performance, Youth Mental Health Ambassadors will facilitate an interactive talk-back discussion, giving participants the opportunity to reflect, share, and engage in meaningful conversation around the themes presented in the play.

It focuses on helping young people develop healthy behaviors and connects with your work in youth development and community engagement.

Building strong school partnerships doesn’t happen by chance—it happens through intentional relationships, understanding district priorities, and consistently delivering value. In this interactive session, participants will explore practical strategies for engaging schools, identifying key champions, and creating programs that align with district goals while expanding youth impact. Through real-world examples, collaborative activities, and actionable planning, attendees will leave with concrete ideas and a personalized roadmap to strengthen school partnerships in their own communities.

Communal art has the power to transform a service project into something deeply personal, meaningful, and lasting. In this interactive workshop, YVC of Hampton Roads will explore how public art can engage youth volunteers in beautifying their communities while creating space for reflection, storytelling, youth voice, and connection across diverse populations. Participants will learn about the Mural Mosaic as a creative model for bringing people together around a shared vision, hear from special guest artist Lewis Lavoie, and experience the process firsthand by creating their own tile for Hampton Roads’ Mural Mosaic project. Through guided reflection, participants will consider how art can help youth recognize the impact of their service, share their stories, and see themselves as contributors to something larger than themselves. Come ready to create, reflect, and discover how serving with soul can leave a lasting mark—one tile, one story, and one community at a time.

Let’s explore answering the question, “What’s my purpose?” in this collaborative and creative project planning workshop. If you’re looking for inspiration on how you can find purpose through service and come away with new ideas – don’t miss this workshop!

Are you struggling to know where to start with project planning? Or, feeling like all your ideas have gone stale? We’ll explore how to pack more punch into your project prep through collaborative brainstorming, project showcases, and insider insight. You’ll walk away with new ideas and actionable next steps. Sometimes it pays to plan.

Today’s employees want more than a job. They want to make a difference. In this session, you’ll learn how volunteerism and community engagement can cultivate a more connected, motivated, and purpose-driven workforce. Through real-world examples and actionable insights, discover how organizations can create meaningful opportunities that drive employee engagement while making a positive impact in the communities they serve.

Federal, state, and foundation grants can provide critical support for programs, but navigating the funding landscape and developing competitive proposals can feel overwhelming. This workshop will help YVC program directors understand where to find and how to evaluate public and private funding opportunities, including federal, state, and philanthropic sources. Participants will learn the essential building blocks of being “grant ready,” from registrations, clearly defining “need” and program outcomes to organizing budgets, data, partnerships, and organizational documents. The session will also cover strategies for translating strong program work into a compelling proposal and avoiding common application pitfalls.The final 30 minutes of the workshop will be held for Q&A. Participants are encouraged to bring a specific upcoming grant opportunity, program idea, draft narrative, or proposal challenge so they can receive practical feedback and apply the session’s tools to a real funding project.