YOUTH UNITED | Levine Center to End Hate

Thank you to all who joined us on April 28th, 2023 to be an agent for change in your school and community. Youth United was a day of learning and camaraderie with youth from across Monroe County. Students learned to strengthen advocacy and leadership skills while embracing their roles as upstanders to create a better Rochester!

Developed by our Youth Ambassador Council, Youth Voice One Vision (the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council), and the Youth Leadership Coalition (an initiative of ROC the Future), and in partnership with Community Youth Development students at Nazareth College, this youth summit featured presentations, live performances, and discussion groups specifically curated to area high schoolers.

“If you do good. People will accuse of doing it for selfish reasons.

Do good anyway. If you give the world the best you’ve got.

You’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world your best anyway.”

— Frank S. Williams

“Your mind is a garden. If you fill it with violent thoughts,

you can have trouble nurturing growth.”

— Cameron Community Workshop

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Frank Williams delivered a keynote address welcoming future student changemakers ready to make an impact on the world around them.

Meet the Keynote Speaker:

Frank S. Williams

CLOSING PANEL DISCUSSION

A moderated panel discussion with Jessie A. Cruz, Maiya Doohan, and Gregory Pepin

Meet the Panelists

Jessie A. Cruz

Maiya Doohan

Gregory Pepin

Moderators

Thomas Cuyler

Tommie Williams

WORKSHOPS

Evolution of the Revolution:
An Examination of Black Revolutionary Strategies

Examine social change strategies employed by Black activists, advocates, and changemakers throughout American history with the goal of identifying strategies that you can use to address the social issues of today. We will examine six distinct eras in Black history—Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, the Rise of Hip Hop Culture, and the Black Lives Matter era—actively exploring how you can draw on these lessons to create change where you live and learn.

Compass Leadership

Participants will have the opportunity to explore who they are as leaders more deeply by reflecting on their unique characteristics and habits when working with a team. Youth Leaders will guide the group through understanding leadership competencies and exploring how different leadership styles can work together effectively and harmoniously. By the end of this workshop, participants will better understand who they are as leaders and how to better work with the varying types of leaders on their teams.

Personal Branding

Youth will be introduced to personal branding and learn how they can maximize their hiring potential. They will do this through discovering who they are, creating their identity, and how they can make their identity visible. At the end of the workshop, youth will be able to identify what their brand is and how they can continue to rebrand themselves.

Cameron Community Peace Walk:
A Call to Action!

Teens will discuss the personal and community effects of violence, as well as learn how to create an action plan. Learn about Cameron's annual Peace Walk, how it has impacted the NW quadrant of Rochester, and how they can be a part of the action.

The Pathway to Changemaking Begins with YOU!

We have heard the phrase "be the change you want to see." This workshop focuses on the Changemaker Competencies that lead toward personal knowledge that can then lead to your commitment to support life-long social change.