YDRF Joins CWA to Bring Exciting Conference to California

After several years of participation in the CWA Annual Youth Conference, we have been asked to step up our game. Working this year with conference organizers, YDRF is bringing a high degree of Youth Cultural Competence to this year’s event. Come witness the power of youth popular culture, positive peer influence, and youth involvement upon youth service providers and the young people they serve. This year we will host the following:

Special TOWN HALL MEETING

Youth will conduct a town hall meeting on relevant youth topics such as school violence, how to capture the imagination of today’s youth, how to help youth better cope with day to day living, and other topics in helping youth successfully transition into better employment and educational opportunities.

Youth Workshop Track

Based on the findings from a pre-conference survey, YDRF will employ the talents of youth from various organizations to create four different and insightful workshops led by youth. Youth will articulate the keys to bridging the gap between adults and youth, give tips to adults on how to provide a better work experience, and provide other important information to youth providers. This workshop will be mandatory for all adults.

Krump Dancers Special Performance

As a testament to the concept and elements of Youth Cultural Competence, YDRF will organize a special performance featuring The Krump Dancers. This performance will take shape in the form of a skit emphasizing what it takes to reach youth, and demonstrating how the use of creativity and musical expression works as a stimulus for positive thinking and actions.

Video Booths

We are bringing a NYC video artist to the conference to set up booths in which conference participants will talk to the camera about issues of importance to the conference topic. Modeled after reality TV video conversations, this conference feature will allow us to hear the voices of youth and youth practitioners and will then be woven into a tape made available at the end of the conference...or for the web.

Youth panel, and youth videos

Bringing back popular features from prior years, we will hear from youth both on panels, in workshops, and in video.

The Dwight Brydie Scholarship

In honor of Dwight Brydie, a longstanding advocate of reaching youth on the youth level, CWA and YDRF will establish a scholarship program in his name. YDRF has also developed the Youth Cultural Competence Institute carrying his name. The Institute is designed to encourage educational and workforce advancement by youth and will award two $1000 scholarships to those youth who plan to attend post secondary education.

Make plans to bring your staff and youth to this very important event. Please visit http://www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=YOUT27E&OID=50 to register.

NEW

YDRF Announces The “MAKiN’ iT” Youth Development Workshop Series
Bring this important message to your program or school.
Click here to find out more.