YOUNG, BOLD & POWERFUL
A Virtual Youth Summit

On June 11th & 12th, Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) & Partners present Young, Bold & Powerful | A Virtual Youth Summit. From Racial Justice to Mental Health, join us for a series of fun and interactive workshops, panels & trainings that invite youth (grades 6th – 12th) to build their capacity for meaningful, effective leadership. 

Our Voice 
CT Youth Leaders Discussion
June 11th, 2021
4pm – 5pm

Facebook Live @WaterburyBTS

Conference Day
Multiple Workshops
June 12th, 2021
10am – 2:30pm

Registration Required

BRAND NEW CHROMEBOOKS TO 5 LUCKY RAFFLE WINNERS

OUR VOICE

A Panel Discussion with CT Youth Leaders

June 11th, 4pm - 5pm | Facebook Live @WaterburyBTS

Our Voice is a panel discussion that will introduce Youth Leaders from Waterbury and across the state to share their perspectives, insights and journeys concerning effective youth leadership. Our hope is that this panel will inspire other young people to see themselves as Leaders in their own communities who are capable of making the change they want to see in the world.  (Please click on picture for more information)

Kessiah Campbell

Kayla Ireland

Melanie Adames

Kessiah Campbell

Kessiah Campbell
(she/they)
President of Liberation on FYER (SGOF)

Kessiah Danielle Campbell is the President of Liberation on FYER, a leadership program from Save Girls on FYER. Kessiah strives to make change and uplift their community and other communities around her. She has recently launched a podcast called “Let Black Girls Live”. Kessiah is 13 years old and currently attends Carrington School as an eighth grader.

Kayla Ireland

(she/her)
President, NAACP Youth Council

Kayla Ireland is the President of Waterbury Pride NAACP Youth Council and an 18-year-old rising sophomore at Post University. She is actively involved and committed to her community, attending many civil rights trainings, one-on-ones with city officials and roundtable discussions with city law enforcement. Kayla has been interviewed in both local and national newspapers, and has also been given personal citations from Senator Chris Murphy and Congress Woman Johanna Hayes. Kayla also suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia and continues to push herself to educate and be present in her community to show everyone that nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it.

Melanie Adames

(she/her)
Chairperson, Let Youth Lead

Melanie Adames (she/her) is the Chairperson for Let Youth Lead and the Youth Representative on the Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) Community Council, generating new ideas that push forward the BTS mission & vision to ‘Engage Empower & Inform’ Waterbury’s children, youth and families in school, career, and life. As the Chairperson, Melanie is happy to be giving back to her community in any way she can. She believes that everyone is beautiful in their own way and that no one should be judged for being themselves. She is of Domincan descent and is currently a 15 year old sophomore at Waterbury Career Academy.

10:00am – 10:30am
10:45am – 11:45am
11:45am – 12:10pm
12:15pm – 1:15pm
1:20pm – 2:20pm
2:20pm – 2:30pm

Welcoming
Workshop Track 1
Lunch Plenary
Workshop Track 2
Workshop Track 3
Raffle & Closing

Conference Day

June 12th, 10am - 2:30pm
Registration Required
REGISTER NOW!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Akeisha Latch

In May of 2020, Akeisha Latch joined the Waterbury Bridge to Success Team as a Community Impact and Marketing Intern, helping to launch and assist with several different initiatives including #CountUsIn 2020 Census and Raise the Rate to increase census and FAFSA completion rates in Waterbury. In September of 2019, Akeisha published her first poetry book, A Writer’s Craft: Poems for Various Reasons, with the intention of reaching people with words of encouragement for whatever situation they may find themselves in. Akeisha has an established record of volunteerism, serving on the CT Board for Butterflies With Voices, a non-profit organization whose mission it is to actively serve youth through empowerment, knowledge, and sisterhood, and volunteering with JVS Boston, where she teaches English Language Learners how to use Zoom.

Akeisha is a graduate of Waterbury Career Academy, 2018, and is currently a rising senior at Clark University as an English Major and Creative Writing Minor with a concentration in Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies. Post Graduation, she plans to stay at Clark for their 5th year program, to earn her Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Social Justice | Mental Health | Youth Leadership

Track 1 | 10:45pm – 11:45pm

Channel Gonzolez

Irene Once

Amina Muhktar

Lagar’e Martinez

Channel Gonzolez

Irene Once

Amina Muhktar

Lagar’e Martinez

[SOCIAL JUSTICE]
Let Youth Lead & the Youth Empowerment Team Present:
Race, Racism & Activism | A Youth of Color Roundtable Discussion

There is a long history of young people creating and leading movements in the name of Social Justice. From rallies, to marches, to community conversations and more, Waterbury has witnessed youth and other residents pushing back against Racism. Join us for a meaningful discussion and learning about race and racism, and what young people have and can continue to do to combat racism in their communities.

About the Presenters

Let Youth Lead (LYL) is an Advisory Think Tank to Waterbury Bridge to Success focused on centering young people’s lived experiences and expertise to generate new ideas that push forward the BTS mission & vision to ‘Engage Empower & Inform’ Waterbury’s children, youth and families in school, career, and life.

The Youth Empowerment Team (YET) is a Waterbury Youth Services program that invites young people to utilize their strengths to achieve a collective goal that seeks to improve their communities and neighborhoods.

[MENTAL HEALTH]
FAVOR, Inc. Presents:
CONNECTing Youth

CONNECTing Youth is an interactive presentation designed to introduce youth to the Children’s Behavioral Health System and to mental health as an important part of your overall health. The presentation dedicates time to discuss how the three pillars – Physical, Mental and Social Health are interconnected and the difference between Mental Health and Mental Illness as it relates to the culture of their school and community. CONNECTing Youth allows time to brainstorm ways that youth can take charge and bring awareness to health, wellness and reducing the stigma of mental illness.

Taylor Ford

Taylor Ford

(she/her/hers)
Statewide Youth & Family Coordinator
tford@favor-ct.org

Taylor is the Statewide Youth and Family Coordinator at FAVOR, Inc., the statewide, multicultural family support organization in Connecticut. In this role, she works to educate and support youth and families to tap into their own power and use their voice to advocate for a more family driven and youth guided children’s mental health system. Taylor has worked primarily with high school students in various areas throughout Connecticut to educate them on mental health, wellness, and the system of care. In this education, she supports young people in brainstorming ways for them to support themselves, each other and their communities. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a focus in Policy Practice and an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Black Studies.

Shakesperience Productions

Pat Donahue

David Raccio

Ellie Kelly

Shakesperience Productions

Pat Donahue

Pat Donahue has been working with Shakesperience since 2013. In that time, he has appeared in King Lear (Cornwall), Radium Girls (Markley/Von Sochocky), Julius Caesar (Caesar), and The Tempest (Alonso), among others. He also claims to be the world’s greatest narrator, a belief that has yet to face any serious challenge. He is a graduate of Connecticut College and the Eugene O’Neill Center’s National Theater Institute.

David Raccio

David Raccio is a Connecticut native and a recent graduate of Muhlenberg College where he earned a BA in Theatre (acting concentration) as well as Political Science. David studied physical comedy at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezza Italy. As a student, David made a name for himself by playing many absurd, larger than life characters such as, “Father Ubu” in Ubu Roi, “The Fire Captain” in the Bald Soprano and “Dr. Lombardi (il dottore)” in The servant of Two Masters.

Ellie Kelly

Ellie Kelly is a high school student in the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Half Day Program. They have participated in Shakesperience classes since last summer. Ellie has written scripts in the Shakesperience programs which have been performed and recorded with other students. They currently lead the singing portion of our Neighborhoods Program that we hold in collaboration with PAL.

[YOUTH LEADERSHIP]
Shakesperience Productions Presents:
Neighborhood Workshop

Join Shakesperience Productions for an interactive workshop exploring perspectives and emotions. There are opportunities for you to participate in games, poem performances, discussions, or explore your own creative way to express your feelings.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Social Justice | Mental Health | Youth Leadership

Track 2 | 12:30pm – 1:15pm

[SOCIAL JUSTICE]
Waterbury Bridge to Success Presents:
Social Media for Social Justice

Did you know that the majority of people receive their news from social media? Join us for a hands-on training on how to create flyers, social media graphics and content strategies that help use your social media platforms to advance the movement for Equity & Justice.

Akia S. Callum

Akia S. Callum

Akia S. Callum serves as the Director of Community Impact and Marketing at Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnership. With over 8 years of experience as a community organizer, political strategist, social justice advocate, educator, and branding consultant for cross-sector entities – Akia knows firsthand the importance of how to ‘Engage. Empower. & Inform.’ communities around equitable practices regarding youth and race. Akia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Post University.

Ana Valentin

Ana Valentin

Ana Valentin is the Director of Community Outreach Programs at Girl Scouts of Connecticut where she leads a team of full and part-time employees in delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in underserved neighborhoods throughout the state. Ana is currently participating in the Senior Executive Nonprofit Leadership Program at Harvard Kennedy School. She earned her BS in Communications from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2010, completed the course work in Nonprofit Management at the University of Connecticut, and is certified in Nonprofit Education by Board Source in Washington, DC. Her professional background spans over 20 years in the public sector in different capacities from logistics to administration. She resides in Manchester, CT where she balances her work by crafting at home and dabbling in arts projects during her free time.

[MENTAL HEALTH]
Girl Scouts Presents:
Girl Scouts Strong

Girl Scout STRONG is a twelve session program aimed to cultivate confidence, problem solving, conflict resolution, and self-respect in middle and high school aged girls. In this sampler session, girls will work on a self-discovery activity to understand themselves and how they can integrate their learning of self in day-to-day situations. Girl Scout STRONG helps girls unleash their ambition through a deeper understanding of themselves, their peers, and the world around them. The girls who participate will find inner strength in the Girl Scout sisterhood and be better positioned to combat the challenges of adolescence and thrive in adulthood.

[YOUTH LEADERSHIP]
ConnCAN Presents:
Advocates in Action 101

What all advocates have in common is their belief that tomorrow can be better than today. They believe they can play a role in ways big and small to help us get to a better tomorrow. When you set your mind to making a difference, and then get to work on that idea, you become an advocate. This workshop is for anyone who wants to build a successful advocacy campaign for a variety of causes you care about. Our approach is grounded in the idea of learning by doing. The session will guide you through the steps you need to create your own advocacy campaign and offer ways to get involved with a community of education advocates.

Toni Williams

Toni Williams

(she/her/hers)
toni.williams@conncan.org
ConnCAN Outreach and Advocacy Manager

As the State Outreach and Advocacy Manager for ConnCAN, Toni oversees community engagement from Norwalk and Hartford to New London and beyond. She is proud, honored and excited to build systems of youth empowerment in partnership with parents, students, teachers, community leaders and the public sector.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Social Justice | Mental Health | Youth Leadership

Track 3 | 1:20pm – 2:20pm

Juan Fonseca Tapia

Juan Fonseca Tapia

(he/him/el)
QUEST Coordinator
jfonsecatapia@gmail.com

Juan Fonseca Tapia is an unapologetic Gay Mexican Immigrant. Juan is the Coordinator for the Queer Unity Empowerment Support Team. Juan’s commitment to social justice and social change is reflected in his efforts as a community organizer and educator to organize collectives to fight for the Liberation of All Peoples. He has advocated and fought for the rights of undocumented Immigrants in Connecticut and the country. He is also the Campaign and Organizing Strategist for Waterbury Empowers the People to Act.

[SOCIAL JUSTICE]
QUEST Presents:
Queer Organizing for Visibility

This training will serve as an introduction to the historical paths Black&Brown Folx have paved for the LGBTQIA+ community and also analyze the erasure Black&Brown LGBTQIA+ youth face in every space they enter in society today. The participants will learn how to use visibility as a tool to create organizing frameworks to combat erasure, build collective resistance, and fight for Queer Liberation.

[MENTAL HEALTH]
CT Against Gun Violence Present:
How to Peacefully Resolve Conflict

Conflict is a part of everyday life, especially when people are under stress. But too often conflict escalates, with violent, sometimes deadly consequences. It doesn’t need to be that way. In this session Jacquelyn Santiago, CEO of Compass Youth Collaborative, will discuss approaches to peacefully resolve conflict, and training that’s available for youth to mitigate violence and build positive relationships. She’ll use hands-on engagement with participants to demonstrate how perspective-taking and communication can be used to de-escalate confrontation.

The session will conclude with a discussion/Q&A with Jackie and Janet Rice, Community Outreach Coordinator for CAGV, and a former Compass Peacebuilder. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and challenges in dealing with interpersonal conflict.

Jacquelyn Santiago

Janet Rice

Jacquelyn Santiago

Jacquelyn Santiago is Chief Executive Officer at COMPASS Youth Collaborative and a Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Hartford. “Youth are my inspiration and my deepest desire is to see them thrive in our communities.” Jackie is a champion for youth equity, a dynamic youth development trainer, and an advocate for youth at risk. To foster success in youth, Jackie has played an important role creating and developing after-school programs, establishing comprehensive school day supports for schools and building impactful outreach and crisis intervention programs for youth at risk.

Janet Rice

Janet Rice is Community Outreach Coordinator for CAGV, establishing relationships with community leaders and gun violence survivors to create partners in our mission to end gun violence in Connecticut. Before joining CAGV, Janet worked in the community with at-risk youth in Hartford for Compass Youth Collaborative as a Peacebuilder. Prior to that she worked for Community Partners in Action and Community Solutions, where she worked with formerly incarcerated to rebuild relationships with their children and families. Janet is also a survivor of community gun violence: she lost her only child, Shane, in 2012, and has since dedicated her life to preventing gun violence. She has turned her pain into purpose.

Ella Copeland

Ella Copeland

(she/her)
Ella Copeland is a sophomore at Guilford High School, and was the 2018-19 United Way of Greater Waterbury campaign co-chair. Outside of school, Ella enjoys riding her horses, reading, going to the beach, and playing with her two dogs.

[YOUTH LEADERSHIP]
United Way of Greater Waterbury Presents:
Giving Back & Getting Involved

Join a panel youth-led discussion about the work of United Way of Greater Waterbury in the community and how youth are able to take on a leadership role to help others. We’ll explore what exactly United Way does and the different ways you can give back & get involved.

10:00am – 10:30am
10:45am – 11:45am
11:45am – 12:10pm
12:15pm – 1:15pm
1:20pm – 2:20pm
2:20pm – 2:30pm

Welcoming
Workshop Track 1
Lunch Plenary
Workshop Track 2
Workshop Track 3
Raffle & Closing

Conference Day

June 12th, 10am - 2:30pm
Registration Required
REGISTER NOW!

CHROMEBOOK GIVEAWAYS

Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) is excited to gift BRAND NEW CHROMEBOOKS to 5 lucky raffle winners along with a BTS Swag Bag for every attendee!   Must register AND attend the full conference to enter the raffle drawing.

Chromebook-samsung-featured

Still Have Questions?

If you would like to know more about the Youth Summit and how BTS can help your organization educate your community, please fill out our form and someone will get back to you shortly.