On January 28, The Endowment hosted the third workshop in a series designed to guide its youth development initiatives and ensure youth voices inform our work. The Youth Leaders Engagement Session took place at the UNCW Trask Coliseum and brought together New Hanover County youth ages 14–24 to share their experiences, perspectives, and ideas with The Endowment team.
Led by Mary Vail Ware, Director of Social and Health Equity and Community Safety, alongside The Endowment’s Programs and Grants team, the session engaged students in a series of interactive activities designed to spark conversation and reflection. Youth shared their perspectives, including what defines success in their lives, the challenges they see around them, what helps them thrive, and the people and organizations that support them. They also spoke of the barriers they face, where they turn for support, and what they wish adults and community leaders understood better.
In welcoming the audience, Interim President and CEO Sophie Dagenais emphasized the importance of seeking and gathering youth perspectives, noting, “You know what it’s like to grow up here: to go to school, work, look for opportunities to be happy and comfortable, and imagine your future. If we want to build a community where everyone can succeed, we need to learn directly from you.”
We are grateful to the youth who shared their time, ideas, and voices during the session. We are also thankful to the youth-serving organizations that helped plan the event and took the time to coordinate and ensure youth were able to participate.
The session also included participation from the Weston & Sampson team, who gathered youth input to inform The Endowment’s Comprehensive Assessment of Recreational Opportunities in New Hanover County that is underway. Hearing firsthand where teens spend time and how they use parks and recreation facilities will help strategy recommendations reflect the needs and experiences of young residents.
We are grateful to UNCW for hosting the session. As a place where ideas grow, lifelong friendships form, and futures begin to take shape, UNCW provided the perfect setting for the meeting. We extend special thanks to Dr. Christine Reed Davis, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and her team for their warm welcome and for the work they do every day to support students as they explore and navigate college life at UNCW.
This is just the beginning! We look forward to hosting additional convenings with youth from across New Hanover County. Their voices, insights, and experiences will continue to guide our work as we strive to build a community where every young person thrives academically, socially, and emotionally and can succeed in school, work, and life.
