RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The annual Teen Summit RVA was held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Saturday, drawing hundreds of local high schoolers together under the theme “I Am.”
“In a world where self-doubt can cloud the dreams and aspirations of young minds, the summit aims to be a beacon of light,” the event’s organizers explained in the summit’s announcement.
The summit was held on Saturday, Feb. 24. Its agenda covered a wide variety of subjects, on top of offering attendees simple fun — gathering ninth to 12th graders together in the spirit of developing both the individual and the community as a whole.
A career fair, a local vendor fair and a variety of local guest speakers are only some of the things offered at this year’s summit.
Chloe Carter, the Youth Community Engagement Coordinator for Chesterfield County, was the Programs and Activities Chair for the summit this year. She said this event was curated with the students in mind and with substantial input from teenagers themselves.
“This gives youth a chance to connect with each other and network in a way that they might not get to do in their own communities,” Carter said. “It gives them an opportunity to explore their career interests and really talk about a lot of the topics that they want to talk about.”
Larger-scale issues such as gun violence, substance abuse and mental health were discussed alongside art and entertainment.
Kaori Goode, a volunteer involved with planning this year’s summit, said the event offers attendees much-needed relief from life’s stresses while also providing them new opportunities.
Goode, a teenager herself, shared what she hoped both she and the attendees would take away from the summit.
“Social skills, social cues … finding opportunities, and knowing there’s people that care and there’s a safe space for everybody,” Goode said, adding that she was already having a great time.
Carter shared a similar goal when asked what she hoped the summit would achieve.
“I want them to know the value of affirming themselves and just their value in general,” Carter said.
A sense of ‘self’ can be lost in the age of social media, according to Carter — so this idea of reaffirming teenagers’ individuality suits the summit’s “I Am” theme.
“I want them to know that, ‘Not only are you a valuable part of your community, but you mean something to yourself and to others around you,’” she said.
Sen. Mark Warner attended the event, saying there was incredible energy in the teenagers he met.
“[It’s] a day to get to know each other, but also recognize the challenges teens face,” Warner said. “How they seek out their identity, how they deal with challenges around gun violence — how to deal with, just, the whole process of what it means to be a teenager in modern America.”
He added that he isn’t sure he would have come out to an event like this as a teenager, admiring this generation’s desire to get involved.
