Return to Current Issue

"Who has the power in your community?" bellowed NTIC co-founder Shel Trapp to a group of 41 youth on a cool August morning.

Class was in session, but not the English or math classes these 13-19 year-olds were used to. Instead these youth community leaders were developing the kind of organizing skills they could take back to their communities.

For three days in mid-August, youth leaders and staff from 15 community organizations in 13 states gathered at Camp Ronara in Watervliet, MI for the second National Training and Information Center Youth Leader Power Retreat.

Although the event took place at a serene location the retreat was far from a vacation. The youth committed to an ambitious schedule with sessions covering a wide variety of topics from understanding power to negotiating with public officials.

On of the media training session, TiJuana Hardwell from Hope Street Youth Development in Wichita, KS said, "the workshop not only taught me how talk with the media but gave me ideas on how to use the media during our events."

The focus of this year's retreat was on providing youth leaders with the tools they need to develop issue campaigns in their own communities.

"We are just beginning our youth group and this retreat gave me confidence that we are going to do great things," said Cindy Gonzalez of the Albany Park Youth Council in Chicago.

In addition to a guest appearence from Trapp, NTIC staff and staff rom local organizations led the sessions.

The Power Retreat provided a unique opportunity for youth from various social, cultural, and economic backgrounds to meet other dedicated young leaders from around the country. The reatreat offered youth the chance to share stories and connect with each other based on the common belief that youth not only have a voice in their communities, but by working together though organizing, they can make change.

The group traveling the farthest and perhaps adding the most unique perspective was also the newest group of youth organizers to join the NTIC youth organizing collaborative. These Native American youth from the Santa Fe Mountain Center in New Mexico came to learn the skills to help kick off their organizing efforts in their local pueblos.

"The youth got a chance to see that other teens around the country were not only talking about but succeeding in making changes, " said staff member Bob Nakaidinae.

The event also gave the group their first opportunity to come together and celebrate the introduction of Youth Service Scholarship Act into Congress. This legislation, which was created by youth leaders from around the country, would give an opportunity for youth working with a local organization to improve their community a chance to earn money for college or other post-secondary education.