On July 11th, 2024, the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) achieved a remarkable milestone by collaborating with GoodKids MadCity Englewood (GKMC-E), TGI Movement, Increase the Peace (ITP), and Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) to host the first Southwest Youth Summit. After months of meticulous planning and preparation, these organizations brought together over 80 young people from diverse backgrounds, creating a fun and safe environment for them to connect and engage with one another. The summit was a vibrant blend of workshops, activities, and discussions designed to empower youth and provide them with the tools and skills to shape their futures.
Throughout the day, participants attended various workshops that catered to a wide range of interests and skills. The financial literacy workshop taught them how to budget and plan effectively for their future, while the spoken word session encouraged them to use words creatively to write songs and poems. The basketball workshop emphasized the importance of collaboration through physical activity, and the art session allowed them to express themselves using paint as a medium. Yoga sessions offered a fun way to de-stress and exercise, and vision planning workshops helped them determine the direction of their lives and set meaningful goals. Among the most impactful activities was the River of Life exercise, a reflective piece that enabled participants to draw and contemplate their life stories, understanding how their past experiences shaped who they are today.
The summit also included a community analysis activity, where participants examined their own communities, identifying similarities and differences among their peers' neighborhoods. This exercise fostered a deeper understanding of their surroundings and sparked discussions about what improvements or changes they would like to see. The collaborative efforts of SWOP, GKMC-E, TGI Movement, ITP, and CP4P created an enriching experience that not only connected young people but also empowered them to envision and work towards a better future for themselves and their communities. The Southwest Youth Summit was a testament to the power of unity and collaboration in fostering positive change.
When asked about what sparked the idea to have a Youth Summit, Executive Director of GKMC-E, Carlil Pittman, said “When thinking about the different partners that we have throughout the community, we wanted to make sure we were strategic about how we are collaborating and what our organizations are doing when it comes to young people, violence prevention and creating safe spaces for youth. Us coming together to have a collaborative meeting turned into a shared vision to want to have young people from
different communities come together, build relationships and get excited for the work to come for their summer youth initiatives. The vision is that this summit was a platform to create long lasting collaboration between young people and the organizations involved.” Though the first Southwest Youth Summit has passed, the people involved are already excited at the thought of bringing about the next one.
