We are celebrating a big first for youth members and mentors. On February 1st, C4K youth, mentors, and staff co-presented a talk: “Supporting Youth Voice and Leadership through Mentoring,” at the National Mentoring Summit in Washington DC. Niedia, Brittany and Trevoris and mentors TK and La’Tasha, with our friends at The Clubhouse Network, shared their personal experiences of mentoring relationships. This was a potentially daunting experience, but within minutes, youth were reaching for the microphone to share their stories.
This opportunity gave youth a huge boost in confidence, in part, because their audience, who voiced their enjoyment of the talk, included mentoring practitioners from across the US as well as representatives from government and granting agencies.
A highlight was the breakout sessions, also led by C4K youth. Asked how to get youth engaged in leadership positions in organizations, Niedia replied,
“Youth are looking for more than just a simple incentive to join a committee. Each young person has specific needs. I can’t speak on behalf of all youth, but you can ask the young people in your community what they are looking for. Ask what is meaningful to them: to expand their resume, get paid, build service hours, have leadership experience, get a letter of recommendation, or have a good meal. One size does not fit all. Talk to your youth! They will tell you!” – Nidea Washington, C4K Youth Member
See our slides from the talk here.
We are now in conversation with The Clubhouse Network and the National Mentoring Summit about a 2020 talk…
