Last Friday, we ended the week-long 2014 Youth United for Global Action and Awareness (YUGA) Leadership Summit. Kids who had been there before knew that I would be very emotional sharing what I got from the week and my feelings about each and every one of the participants as they head out to make a difference in the world.
When you have been through a week of learning about global issues of dire importance and working together to figure out how to make positive change, you are both depleted and exhilarated as you reach the fifth day. Throw in some dancing, soccer, late night conversations, sing-a-longs, tons of laughing, and sleeping on a dorm room mattress, you get a fuller picture of the YUGA Summit experience. You might be able to see the appeal (minus the mattress) of this yearly event and why I have returned for four summers.
As an educator, this week is like an intense school year in five days. The first day of the Summit is like the first day of school in September. Returning participants run to greet each other and catch up. New Summit-teers size up the others, anxious and excited to see what kind of kids will be there and what the programming for the week will be. We slowly get our feet wet with a couple of workshops and the traditional getting-to-know-you activities.
Between Tuesday and Thursday, it’s like those weeks in school leading up to vacation breaks, full of information and challenging projects and group work (but no tests – yippee!!). The issues the youth take on are intense and real – climate change, gender equality, humanitarian law, discrimination, access to clean water, the Millennium Development goals. Some of the young people come in with an incredible amount of background knowledge. Some only come with the desire to make change. Some don’t know what to do but are able to find a safe space to learn and work with others towards figuring out some of the puzzles facing global leaders.
At night, the activities mirror what I like to do in my free time. One night we watch a movie: the films aren’t light Disney musicals or a Marvel comic adventures.. We watch a documentary about one of the topics we’re covering during the week, films that prompt amazing post-screening discussions. On another night we dance. Experts in different styles of dance from different cultures are brought in, and we learn not only where the dance comes from but what different hand placements or steps mean.
On the last night, the staff and youth share their amazing talents. This is really the test of the week for me. Was a safe space created for the youth to risk sharing a piece of themselves? Will they be judged with weak applause or will they be supported with shouts and hugs? This year will go down for me as an extraordinary show, not only because of the range of talent shared but because of the number of youth who pushed themselves well beyond their comfort zones. The level of vulnerability these young people were willing to expose and the power with which they broke through any fear they had was overwhelming. As an educator, an adult, and a former youth who struggled at this age to be vulnerable in front of peers, I was so very proud of each and every one of them.
On Friday, it’s like the last day of school: Tears, hugs, promises to keep in touch. It’s also the beginning of a network of youth who will make a powerful difference in our world. These young people are our future leaders. I for one feel more secure knowing that the youth who participate in this summit and others like them are going to right enormous wrongs and fight to make things better for everyone.
I am a middle school guidance counselor. I love my job, and I love my students. And I love, love, love the YUGA Summit. While most people know that educators don’t really get the summer off, some question why I would spend any of my time during the summer with young adults: “If you spend 180 days with them, don’t you want a break when you’re not at school?” is a question I’ve faced more times than I care to share. The answer, particularly when it comes to the youth participants at the YUGA Leadership Summit, is no. I do not want a break from intelligent, passionate people who inspire and challenge me. No, I don’t want a break from learning alongside these youth about issues that impact all of us.
And with all the horribly depressing things that are happening in our country and around the world, I certainly don’t want to give up my seat next to hope.
