On June 11, I had the opportunity to attend the Youth & Adult Partnership (YAP) Summit at Cabrillo College’s Horticulture Center. I attended the event as a member of the United Way of Santa Cruz County’s team helping facilitate the event and as a Cal State Monterey Bay student. I am passionate about youth voice and community change for the betterment of future generations. Throughout the day, youth leaders, educators, nonprofit professionals and community partners had an opportunity to come together and discuss how we can strengthen youth-adult partnerships as well as create spaces where young people are not only invited into conversations but are empowered to create the change they want to see in the world, as Gandhi would say.
On the day of, I helped support the event behind the scenes. While I was helping, I also had the opportunity to take a step back and witness the conversations taking place. I was able to see youth and adults engage in meaningful conversations about leadership, decision-making and what it honestly means to share perspectives across generations.
One of the themes that I connected with most was the distinction between giving youth a chance to speak and genuinely listening to what they have to say. Speaking for myself, I feel that young people are invited into spaces as participants, but not always as partners. The YAP Summit is different that way – it challenges partners and community leaders to think differently. The summit created an environment where youth feel valued, heard and respected. This event gives youth the opportunity to be heard and collaborate with leaders in their community.
Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to hear directly from different peers whose experiences reflected the impact that meaningful youth engagement can have.
Alina C., a member of Pathways to Possibility (P2P), shared:
“Being in P2P for the last eight months has been super rewarding! One memory that really stands out to me is when we had our New Year’s party and played the Saran wrap game – it was a great bonding experience. To me, P2P acts as a program that has allowed me to grow both as a person and a peer, therefore allowing me to become a better member of our community.”
Alina’s reflection reminded me that youth leadership programs are more than just projects, meetings or presentations. They are about young people creating relationships with their community, and helping young people recognize the value they bring to their communities.
I was also inspired by Giovanni (“Gio”), who attended the summit for the first time and participated as both an attendee and presenter.
“Being able to attend this Youth and Adult Partnership Summit for the first time was an experience I will never forget. I went not only as an attendee but also as a part of one of the presentations. Working alongside United Way has been a choice I will never regret. They allow young people, including me, to show up and be something bigger. Getting to meet the different people that make all of this possible is a surreal experience, and it was inspiring to see not only adults but other youth in the room as well.”
One of Gio’s most powerful takeaways captured the meaning of the summit:
“It isn’t the youth changing to fit with the adults, but the adults changing to fit with the youth. It shouldn’t be on the youth to morph who they are to fit in. If adults want to work with youth, they should be willing to create spaces where young people can show up as themselves.”
Gio’s words stayed with me because they challenged a common assumption that youth have to adapt to existing systems. Instead, Gio showed us that authentic partnership requires adults and organizations to reflect on how they can better support and learn from young people. We have ideas and opinions, and with adult experience and guidance, think of what we can accomplish together.
Another perspective that stood out came from Crystal H., an All Children Thrive (ACT) coach supporting the Pathways to Possibility initiative. Crystal reflected:
“It felt refreshing to share space with youth and adult leaders and dig into how young people can serve as real experts and partners in systems change. I’m bringing those ideas back to the ACT team to strengthen how we amplify youth voices and build genuine partnership, not just participants. Excited to build and strengthen Pathways to Possibility!”
She also shared:
“The YAP Summit gave me real, usable ideas. I’m bringing them back to the ACT team to strengthen how we amplify youth voice and create genuine opportunities for partnership. Youth engagement isn’t a checkbox; it’s a partnership. The summit sharpened how I think about that, and I’m taking those ideas straight to the ACT team and our projects.”
YAP Summit was a reminder of why this work matters in Santa Cruz County. Growing up here and now as a young adult, there have been moments when I’ve questioned whether my voice would make a difference. Being in a room filled with youth and adult leaders who were actively discussing how to collaborate and better their community, it reminded me that change is possible when people are willing to listen and learn from one another. Events like this are important to this community; they give us the opportunity to learn from people of different walks of life.
I left the 2026 YAP Summit feeling confident that the ideas shared throughout the day have an opportunity to turn into action. The youth leaders who attended this meeting shared their experiences with adult partners so that the adults reflect on how they can improve when collaborating with young people. United 4 Youth’s mission is to “uplift youth voice, expand access to resources and champion youth well-being.” The summit showed what can happen when communities are invited to learn from one another and create change.
As I continue my journey professionally and as a member of this community, I will take all the lessons, conversations and stories from this year’s YAP Summit and let them empower me to listen and understand other people’s perspectives. I will carry the responsibility to help create spaces where young people are not just present, but encouraged to lead, influence decisions and shape the future of our communities.
Acucar “Sookie” Ramos is a Cal State Monterey Bay student & the Community Impact Coordinator for United Way of Santa Cruz County
