On December 9, the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne hosted its first Youth Leadership Summit. Partnering with A NORMAN PERSPECTIVE LLC, the event brought together local middle and high schoolers with leaders who spoke about leadership and diversity.
“I wanted to create an atmosphere where some of our seasoned veterans in the community who have positions of influence could connect with our young, up-and-coming leaders,” said Amos Norman, the district executive director. “They were able to see someone that looks like them, represents something about them, connect with them and help find their own voice in leadership. That’s really what this thing was about.”
Keeping the Audience Engaged
Norman described the event as a success because of the engaged participants and new relationships formed. A key to making the Youth Leadership Summit a success was the consideration of the audience. To engage the young audience, elements of music and entertainment were intermixed with short and succinct presentations. The atmosphere was kept upbeat and engaging.
“The whole time, I wanted to make sure the leaders are touchable,” said Norman. “This wasn’t a stuffy event. I wanted the speakers to have a good time and make it a relatable type of event for the youth. Looking at the feedback, the kids were pleasantly surprised because they didn’t know what to expect.”
To foster an environment where strong connections could be formed, community leaders sat with attendees so they were interacting with them throughout the day. The Y and Norman served as the connector of the two groups.
“These are some phenomenal leaders who have great stories,” said Norman. “I don’t know if they had access to our young people, and the kids don’t have access to those leaders. I wanted to make sure the youth know there are great people working regular jobs that are extremely impactful.”
Takeaways for Future Events
One of the biggest takeaways from the Summit for Norman is how receptive kids are. Because the content was intentionally presented to be engaging for kids, they were more invested in the mission and purpose of the event.
“All I did was dress up the information and make it palatable for the kids to digest, want and yearn for it,” said Norman. “I wrapped music and entertainment around it to account for their attention span. I did all the things necessary for them to want to hear what we’re talking about because it’s necessary and vital information.”
As for a future Youth Leadership Summit, Norman explained how he has seen interest from both sides. Community leaders have asked to be on panels or speakers, and kids have given feedback on who they’d like to hear from at future events.
“When I received their feedback and what leaders they want to see, it made me realize that this is real,” said Norman. “The kids take the event seriously. With those types of comments, it shows me they’re investing interest.”
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