Schools and communities throughout Washington, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac and Ozaukee Counties are invited to send a delegation of youth– size of their choice– to participate in the 1st Annual Community Youth Voice Conference taking place TBD, 2021. Youth delegates must be between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Schools and youth programs are encouraged to select youth who may be leaders in their community but may not already have access to leadership development opportunities. Selecting youth that are representative of the demographics of your community is vital to engaged participation in this experience.

At the conference youth delegates explore current issues affecting youth and the role youth can play in addressing those issues. Each youth prioritizes their interest in topics available before they arrive for conference. During the conference, youth develop a presentation with others on their findings/discussions to share with a local agency’s key decision makers.

Delegates must study the round-table topic information sent to them by the Community Youth Voice Conference. They can also research their topic within their local community. This preparation allows them to jump into the topic discussion and bring perspective from their community.

CYVC delegates engage in personal development experiences that increase their knowledge, resources, and skills while they discuss topics affecting youth programming statewide. Delegates not only learn while at the conference: they are empowered to create positive social change in their communities and have the opportunity to practice and apply their skills in a real-world setting.

Conference Objectives

• Learn – Provide youth a broad-based learning experience in which they will acquire practical knowledge and skills to reinforce the attitudes and motivation that will give them a heightened sense of responsibility and capacity to connect as active members of their community and state.
• Practice – Engage youth in hands-on educational activities in which they explore, practice and master existing and newly developed skills/knowledge in civic engagement, civic education and personal development.
• Apply – Facilitate direct opportunities for youth to apply what was learned in real world experiences in which they develop leadership skills using their voices, work, ideas and/or behavior to make a difference in their community and state.

Registration

Registration to attend the Community Youth Voice Conference is coordinated through local schools and youth programs. Youth and adult participants are selected by their respective school or other youth program and attend the conference as part of a group delegation. Schools or youth serving agencies may select their youth delegates and submit the linked delegate pre-registration form. We will accept 40 youth delegates. Adult advisors (chaperones) from the school or agency are also welcome. We will accept registration from eight adult advisors.

Sample Round-table Topics

1. Workforce Development: How do we encourage youth to explore post-secondary education options that meet the needs of the current workforce?
2. Youth Engaged Elections: How do we engage youth at the polls as volunteers and informed voters?
3. Healthy Relationships: How can youth support healthy relationships in their communities?
4. Aging Communities: What role can youth play in supporting our aging communities?