Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is a cohort for high school teens focused on leadership skills, public speaking, and community engagement. The program includes tier one (first-year) scholars, who explore leadership vision and self-discovery while identifying community issues, and tier two (second-year) scholars, who develop and implement community action plans based on those issues. Scholars gain experience in youth-led change through visioning, planning, and action. The program culminates in the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES), which is hosted and planned by the scholars themselves.
The 2025 Youth Empowerment Summit invites community members to hear from YEP Scholars about their work and progress addressing pressing regional issues. Scholars will present their findings to parents, friends, elected officials, and other stakeholders. The event is free for all participants. Lunch will be provided—please submit any food preferences before the registration deadline and include an accurate headcount for catering purposes.
