Five days a week we ask teens to go to school and learn from adults who are older and wiser than them. But what if we gave students a day to learn from each other? What new things would they discover? This is the concept behind Queens Community House (QCH)’s Annual Youth Leadership Conference, now celebrating its 17th year.

The Youth Leadership Conference (YLC), which will be held on May 21 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., represents the annual culmination of QCH’s youth leadership programming. Participants from QCH’s Access For Young Women (AFYW) program host the event and coordinate its agenda, while program participants from various teen programs are involved in planning and presenting the conference’s workshops.

AFYW provides training in public speaking, assertive communication, goal setting, and critical thinking for women ages 12-18. For the YLC, the participants are trained to develop and lead their own workshops. The young women work in small groups, choose their topic, research and facilitate the learning sessions.

“More than 50 of our participants will be leading workshops,” AFYW Director Tabitha Gamonski said. “The conference has become a ‘must-see’ big event. Last year, we had 250 people in attendance.”

The YLC workshops focus on topics of importance to youth. Their aim is to be educational as well as to offer strategies for change.

“It’s my chance to teach other people what I am passionate about, and what I would like to see more of in this world,” 14-year-old AFYW participant Anaiyah Smith remarked.

Gamonski believes the year-after-year success of the conference stems from allowing the participants to choose the topic and format of their workshops.

“I tell them to pick a topic that is dear to them, one that they have strong conviction for and want to see change happen,” she stated. “One group, for example, noticed that their gym classes were unequal. Boys were playing soccer and basketball while girls were allowed to sit out or do ‘girly’ activities. When conference planning came around, these girls knew exactly what they wanted to present on. They want to bring attention to the issue, but also to inspire other young people to speak up for themselves when they feel they are being treated unfairly. And of course, that’s one of our goals of this conference.”

To register for the 17th Annual Youth Leadership Conference at Queens Community House’s Forest Hills Community Center (108-25 62nd Drive, Forest Hills, NY 11375), contact Tabitha Gamonski at tgamonski@qchnyc.org or call 718-592-5757.

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Queens Community House (QCH) is a multi-service settlement house serving more than 20,000 children, youth, adults and older adults every year. Our mission is to provide individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities. Through a broad network of programs operating out of 25 sites in 11 neighborhoods, we offer Queens residents a needed support system at every stage of life, helping them to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to change their lives for the better and become active participants in their larger community.