06/20/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/20/2024 10:53
WASHINGTON, (June 20, 2024)-YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the national resource office for the 2,600+ YMCAs across the country, is excited to announce the winners of the 2024 YMCA Changemakers Summit. Now in its third year, the summit offers rising 9th-12th graders the opportunity to propose a project that addresses a critical issue or need in their communities. Finalists receive $5,000 to implement their project in their community.
The summit took place June 12-14 in Washington, D.C. Out of the 80 students who participated, three teams were chosen by their peers as finalists. The awarded finalists and their projects are:
YMCA Changemakers projects are completely youth-led. Each year, students participating in YMCA Changemakers select an issue based on the needs of their local communities and craft a proposal to address it. Past proposals have focused on topics such as emergency preparedness, youth mental health, period poverty, addressing hunger and more.
The Changemakers Summit is informed by the YMCA's Changemaker Strategy, which aims to prepare young people to be active contributors and stakeholders in decision-making within their communities. The Changemaker Strategy is guided by 3 principles: beliefs and values, meaningful experiences, and intentional settings.
"Through initiatives like YMCA Changemakers, the Y empowers young people to address today's challenges and shape the future of their communities," said Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO of Y-USA. "I am inspired by the finalists and every student who embraced this opportunity. Their dedication, ingenuity and civic mindedness give me great hope for a brighter tomorrow."
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About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they're from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y's goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. Learn more at ymca.org.