Friday, November 17, 2000
Mayor Anthony A. Williams to Convene The City is Mine: Youth Summit 2000 on November 20th
Area Youth Ages 14 - 21 to Tackle Concerns Including Violence, Education, Jobs, Training, and Access to Services
(Washington, DC) - District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams will convene The City is Mine: Youth Summit 2000, on November 20th at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Nearly 1,400 youth from all over the city will meet to articulate what they need in order to thrive in the District and what commitments the community must make to develop and nurture those conditions on their behalf.
The Summit will provide youth, between the ages of 14 and 21, the opportunity to voice their opinions on issues they feel are important, including challenges faced by them daily, as well as those faced by their families. The participants in the Summit will include high school students from area public, charter, private, and parochial schools, as well as other young people from community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, recreation centers, universities, and the Job Corps.
"We want our youth to develop the skills needed to become engaged in our city," said Mayor Anthony A. Williams. "To achieve that goal we will work together to develop a plan that supports them." Similar to the Mayor's Citizen Summit, the recommendations from the Youth Summit will be linked to the Citywide Strategic Plan and used to help determine the FY2002 budget priorities.
"Most often, we talk about what youth need and what they should do, but we hardly ever stop to just listen and hear them out. The Summit will change that, especially for the youth of this city," said Carolyn Graham, Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, and Families.
The topics to be discussed at the Summit begin with safety and violence, education, jobs/training, youth empowerment, access to programs and services, health, and unity. These are all issues that youth have identified as most important to them. The youth leaders of the city, including the Youth Mayor and the members of the Youth Summit Advisory Board, along with the Office of Neighborhood Action have been instrumental in the planning of the Summit.
"We are the future, and we can make a difference. It is very important that we, as young people, play a major role in our communities, so we can help shape a better future," said Youth Mayor Crystal Williams. "Participation in this Summit signals the beginning of ongoing improvement efforts; this is not a one day event for us."
The Summit will include a follow-up meeting in December. Agency directors, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, the private sector, the foundation community, and youth representatives from the Summit will further discuss the recommendations of the city's youth and create an action plan for implementation.
Registration for the Summit is on a first-come, first-served basis. High school students should obtain the registration form from and return it to their school's Youth Summit Coordinator. Out-of-school youth can register online at www.youthsummit.dc.gov or call 727-0882.
Citizens of all ages are invited to observe the Summit live on Cable Channel 16, which will broadcast from the event throughout the day. The plenary session of the Summit will also be broadcast live on the Internet at the following website: www.youthsummit.dc.gov.
The Office of Neighborhood Action, Executive Office of the Mayor, is coordinating Youth Summit 2000.
