The Penn Youth Summit on Civic Engagement and Social Change will focus on the perspectives and research of high school youths regarding their roles in and possibilities for achieving positive change for their communities. It will convene young people in Philadelphia and elsewhere to share their ideas about the problems we face locally and globally and the significance of youth knowledge in addressing racial, social, and economic disparities and inequity. The Youth Summit is open to high school youth and youth-serving organizations, their teachers and other educators, and family and community members. The 2021 Youth Summit is being led by The Youth Civic Engagement Research (YCER) Project’s Social Inquiry for Social Justice Group in collaboration with The Community Literacies Project, both at the University of Pennsylvania, and the participation of The Youth Voices Project at Michigan State University.

The Youth Summit will consist of three segments:

• A Roundtable of high school youths who are members of three community research projects: The Youth Civic Engagement Research (YCER) Project-Social Inquiry for Social Justice Group, The Community Literacies Project, and The Youth Voices Project. Youth attendees will be able to raise issues and present ideas for discussion throughout the Roundtable.

• Research Concept Project Gallery, including short videos by YCER youths, representing their efforts to use research in ways that enhance their communities and address pressing issues.

• A Conversation by researchers, activists, and students, offering perspectives on critical issues facing urban communities, moderated by YCER alumni.

The Youth Summit recognizes the increasingly critical role that young people play in engaging with and working on behalf of their communities. It builds upon the wealth of commitment and knowledge that they draw from their school and out-of-school experiences and that they enact to make a difference in promoting equity, justice, and change.

For more information, please visit: https://2021forum.dryfta.com/youth-summit.