On August 13, over 150 youth currently in the care of NH DCYF participated in the 16th Annual Youth Voices Summit. This year’s summit was opened by NH Governor Chris Sununu, First Lady Valerie Sununu, and DCYF Director Joe Ribsam. It served as the first ever inclusion of a sitting governor, highlighting the significance of this gathering and making this year’s summit unique and memorable.
This annual event is the largest of its kind, bringing together youth and former youth care from all over the state and beyond for a day of learning, camaraderie, and fun. In order to continue the deep commitment to young people, the summit occurred as the first ever 100% online youth summit.
The summit was organized by the young people with some adult support, centered around Choose Love, the social and emotional learning movement begun by Scarlett Lewis, whose son, Jesse, was tragically shot at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Workshops focusing on Choose Love were developed by the young people and presented to their peers during this day-long event. No fewer than ten current young people who had been in the care of DCYF care planned, organized, and presented at this youth-centered summit, realizing a key goal of cultivating leaders among the young people living in a variety of situations including foster care, group home, or residential settings.
While there was not the outdoor activities, challenges, and games ending with a barbecue, energy and enthusiasm was at a high level with attendance over 150% of previous years. Youth who had been in the custody of DCYF came from all over New Hampshire and from at least four additional states—Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and South Carolina!
The 2020 DCYF Youth Voices Summit was a collaboration of NH DCYF, the NH DCYF Youth Advisory Board, and the Child Welfare Education Partnership (CWEP) at Granite State College.
To learn more about CWEP’s programming and initiatives, please visit: cwep.granite.edu