Finding your voice is more than just being willing to speak up in uncomfortable situations – it allows you to embrace your unique differences and empower yourself and others. But too often, students learn to be silent, or to mistrust their voice.
YOU have the power to restore kids’ voices. Our conferences teach students compassion, confidence, and other valuable life skills that enrich our communities: “As a middle schooler, YIG was the first place that I felt the weight of my voice, and I understood that despite being young, I was capable of making meaningful change.” – Starr Rhee, 2017 Tri-Star Youth Governor
Your donation can remove the financial barrier to ensure ALL students have the opportunity to find their voice and ultimately to ensure the legacy of civic leadership in our community.
Our goal is to give scholarships to 800 students. Will you join us and give this life-changing experience to another student like Starr for $175?
“YMCA Youth in Government and Model UN programs have changed my life in innumerable ways. As a middle schooler, YIG was the first place that I felt the weight of my voice, and I understood that despite being young, I was capable of making meaningful change. But more importantly than teaching me to speak up, the YMCA CCE taught me to listen. These conferences were the first time I was confronted with opinions very different from my own. Rather than teaching us to reject what we do not agree with, the CCE creates the space for constructive dialogue and compromise. I was taught to lead not by being the loudest person in the room, but by lifting up the voices of others. Through this process, the CCE has brought me life long friendships with folks who I never would have met otherwise; they come from different parts of the state, have different political beliefs, and have lived very different lives than I, but each of them has changed me for the better and opened my world view. Learning to connect across boundaries will always be the greatest gift this program has given me.”
