Blog

For the Youth, By the Youth

Jun 23, 2017 By Daniel Li
Over the course of an afternoon, Seattle youth competed in a shark-tank style competition to pitch project ideas that addressed social issues important to them. The grants were presented with the help of two friends from a Points of Light partner, Disney.

During this year’s Conference on Volunteering and Service, and with the generous support of Target, youth in and around the Seattle metropolitan area were invited to complete interactive and engaging workshops to develop a service project that positively impacts their community.

Students worked together to develop their strong 2-minute elevator pitch for the panel of judges.

The Youth Summit featured 8 teams of young people that brainstormed ways to address a social issue important to them, develop a strong plan of action and pitch their idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win $250 to $1,000 grants to implement their project. The winners were chosen based on points received in the areas of relevance, creativity, community engagement, planned scope of work, defined outcome and sustainability.

In addition to the competition, the summit provided an opportunity for the students to network with each other and develop their collaboration skills, as well as their experiences and best practices with each other. Terra Gay, Points of Light’s senior vice president of Programs, summarized it best, “As you seek opportunities, seek out others as well.”

Actor and recording artist, Mike Ellison (left) emceed the Youth Summit, providing valuable context and purpose for the event, "We won’t use the cliche 'the youth are our future' because they are our present. It diminishes the impact that they can make today." Points of Light CEO, Tracy Hoover (center) and board of directors chairman, Neil Bush (right) were also on hand to present each team with their grants.

Learn more about the teams »

Daniel Li