A team of students from around the state, along with the Our Children, Our Future campaign and the support of dozens of colleges and community organizations are planning the first-time ever Young WV Power Building Conference on August 27th and 28th at Marshall University.
The youth organizers of the conference say that they want to be a part of the solution to the challenges facing West Virginia and that there is no better way to gain leadership skills than by leading their own conference, setting their own agenda, and taking action on the issues they believe are most pressing.
Young WV co-chair and recent graduate from South Charleston High School Gabriella Cipollone says, “The youth are such an important asset to WV – they’re the key to our future! And at the Young WV Conference, the youth will not only get to advocate for what they are passionate about, but they’ll learn how to do so in a fun and creative environment. It’s exciting!”
The goals of the Young WV conference are:
- For participants to see themselves as integral parts of their community and state
- To create a dynamic, interactive, judgement-free, and focused space where participants lend their innate energy, talent and wisdom towards the creation of concrete goals and strategies for change
- To develop skills and knowledge about planning a conference, speaking to media, advocating at the legislature, and thinking critically about present day realities of poverty, addiction, and oppression
- To build relationships and have fun
Jacob Snuffer, Young WV co-chair and high school senior in Wyoming County says, “The 1st annual Young WV Conference is going to reinvent the way we train youth. A youth leadership conference should be led by youth, and this one will be!”
In addition to every workshop being led by young people from around the state, the conference will also feature the Young WV Policy Challenge where young people submit and present their policy ideas they’d like to see the Legislature consider in 2017; a Young WV Professional Networking event hosted by Generation WV; and Young WV Awards presented to an inaugural class of young leaders who are making a difference in their communities and state.
The Young WV conference builds on the success that the Our Children Our Future campaign has seen thanks in no small part to the courage and leadership of young people. Successes include young leaders organizing community forums and candidate nights to bring attention to critical issues facing their families and community, youth from around the state testifying before Senate committees, sharing personal testimonies at press conferences, speaking to the media, serving on legislative policy panels, and leading workshops at regional policy workshops and annual policy summits. These young leaders boast victories for prison reform, juvenile justice reform, truancy reform, raising the minimum wage, and establishing the Future Fund for West Virginia.
Sponsors of Young WV Power Building Conference include: WV Community Development HUB, Inspire WV, Generation WV, East End Family Resource Center, WE LEAD Wesleyan, WVU Campus Compact, Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, WV FREE, American Friends Service Committee, WV Citizen Action Group, Step by Step WV, World Vision, and High Rocks.
For more information on how to register or become a sponsor, visit ocofwv.org/youngwv. Follow the conference on Twitter @_YoungWV.
