Youth Conference Participation
Attend and actively participate in a youth conference or leadership summit such as YMCA Youth Leadership programs, leadership experiences, or provincial/national youth forums. These intensive multi-day events bring together young people from diverse backgrounds to learn from inspiring speakers, develop leadership skills, and connect with a community of changemakers. Participation goes beyond attendance, it means engaging fully, building networks, and bringing learning back to your community.
Building your Award:
Review the example goal, Assessor and reflection to help you build your Gold Project
For my Gold Project, I will maximize my youth conference experience and extend its impact: prepare by researching the conference theme, setting 3 personal learning goals, and connecting with other attendees online before the event, fully participate in my 5-day youth leadership conference by attending all sessions, engaging in workshops, networking with peers and speakers, and documenting key insights in a reflection journal, then apply what I learned by implementing one action project inspired by the conference, sharing my experience through a presentation to our school’s leadership class, and mentoring 2 younger students interested in attending future conferences.
Conference facilitator or organizer, school teacher who supported attendance, or youth program coordinator
Attending the youth leadership conference changed how I see my role in creating change. Before going, I thought leadership meant being in charge. The keynote speaker—a young activist who started a national movement from her bedroom—showed me that leadership starts with caring deeply about something and taking one small step. The workshops pushed me out of my comfort zone; I participated in discussions with students from across the country who had completely different perspectives than mine. I learned that listening is just as important as speaking up. The connections I made were unexpected gifts. I’m still in contact with three people I met, and we’re collaborating on a project about youth mental health. When I presented to our leadership class, I realized that sharing what I learned helped me understand it more deeply. Mentoring younger students reminded me that opportunities like this conference aren’t available to everyone, which motivates me to help open doors for others.
