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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah seventh through ninth grade students are invited to attend a free multicultural youth leadership summit this fall.
The event, hosted by the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, includes college and career exploration, financial literacy and leadership development. It will include an address by Gov. Spencer Cox, a keynote speaker and breakout sessions.
"The key component to this — and I think what sets it apart — is definitely the wide representation that we try to introduce into these topics by having community leaders and different professionals and representatives from different sectors that reflect the background of these students," said Claudia Loayza, planning and policy coordinator for the Division of Multicultural Affairs.
"We really try to plug in and invite community leaders that can speak to these students and help them envision themselves in pathways, colleges, expertise, fields of study, employment sectors that maybe they're not quite thinking of," she continued, "because they don't see a lot of representation in those areas."
Loayza said that representation includes not only making sure the event's speakers are racially, ethnically and gender diverse, but also tapping people from a wide range of geographies across the state and with different abilities.
The event is in its 10th year and was originally started after educators realized there was a lack of conferences for middle-school students. This year's theme is "Thriving Together."
"We want to make sure students understand and appreciate the idea that thriving is really a journey, and it's something that can be worked towards. notwithstanding anywhere where students might feel like they are in their educational or academic pursuits," Loayza said. "And making sure that they're also being mindful of how those tools and resources can help them 'lift where they stand.'"
The summit will be offered virtually on two days — Oct. 26 or Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — to accommodate more school schedules. Loayza said the division recognizes that most students "zoomed out," but offering the summit virtually expands access to students outside the Wasatch Front, especially to those in rural areas.
Students and educators must register by Oct. 18. The first 30 educators to register themselves and most of their students by Oct. 11 will receive a $50 gift card to purchase snacks for their classroom. Students will also be eligible to win prizes, including laptops. Students who are not registered with a classroom will need to coordinate with their schools to make sure they're excused.
More information, including how to register, is available here.
