The SPIFFY Coalition and the Communities That Care Coalition co-organized a “Youth Policy and Advocacy Skills Summit” on June 14th, from 10AM-3PM at the Smith College Conference Center. The Summit was co-planned by adults and youth in Hampshire and Franklin Counties over the course of seven months. The purpose of the Summit was to provide local youth with useful information and skills related to policy and advocacy so that they can be better equipped to make positive changes in their communities.
The event was broken up into several parts, including a Policy 101 presentation, interactive roundtable discussions with policymakers at the school, local, state, and federal levels, and a series of skills workshops that youth could choose from. Workshop topics included:
- Art & Activism;
- Public Speaking;
- Activism for Introverts; and
- Using Storytelling for Advocacy
The Summit also included multiple icebreakers and relationship-building activities, as well as lunch, snacks and drinks throughout the day. Nearly all sections of the day, including the workshops, were facilitated by youth leaders. In total, forty youth, ages 13-19, attended the Summit (twenty youth from Hampshire County and twenty from Franklin County/North Quabbin Region).