Empowering Future Leaders: 2024 PK Youth Leaders' Summit Brings Together 70 Youth at Dutchess Community College

August 1, 2024 - The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, in partnership with Poughkeepsie City School District, Dutchess Community College, and community organizations, successfully co-sponsored the inaugural PK Youth Leaders' Summit from July 30 through August 1, 2024. 

The three-day event brought together approximately 70 young people at Dutchess Community College for workshops, career exploration, and community building designed to support their positive youth development.

Executive Director of Community Schools, Natasha Brown, engages with students during a breakout session during the 2024 PK Youth Leaders' Summit.

Held at DCC's Drumlin Hall and Hudson Hall, the summit provided participating youth with opportunities to explore career pathways, connect with community resources, and develop leadership skills. The event featured interactive workshops, panel discussions with local professionals, and sessions focused on helping students understand the programs and support services available to them in Poughkeepsie.

Day three of the summit included a keynote address from Dutchess Community College President Dr. Peter Jordan, followed by career exploration breakout sessions where students could learn about various professional pathways. A plenary panel on career resources connected youth with organizations that can support their educational and employment goals. The summit concluded with a closing keynote from Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, Superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District.

In his follow-up message to organizers, Dr. Rosser expressed deep appreciation for the collaborative effort. "Our coming together as influential leaders in Poughkeepsie to provide such an opportunity to PK youth is one example of how we can harness the POWER OF US in investing in our community's future citizens and leaders," he wrote, quoting Anne Frank: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

Matt Evans, Community Partnership Director at the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, leads a breakout session entitled, "Amplify Your Voice: Youth Leadership for Community Change" at the 2024 PK Youth Leaders' Summit.

The summit was organized through a partnership that included Saving Our Tomorrow, led by Jasmaine Clay, along with support from multiple school district staff, Dutchess County Community and Family Services, the City of Poughkeepsie's Youth Programs Division, and community partners.

Jill Gomez, Executive Director of the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, reflected on the collaborative nature of the event: "[reflecting] earlier today, [I] noted the beauty of how everyone worked together in such a collegial, supportive manner to engage and support all of the children involved."

Dr. Peter Jordan, President of Dutchess Community College, also celebrated the partnership, noting that "the DCC community was thrilled to host" the event and congratulated everyone who worked to make the summit successful.

The PK Youth Leaders' Summit represents the kind of cross-sector collaboration that the Children's Cabinet aims to foster: bringing together education, government, higher education, and community organizations to create meaningful opportunities for Poughkeepsie's young people.