Colorado Young Leaders

Last Friday, we wrapped up CYL’s 4th annual Think Like a Genius® Challenge with amazing presentations from our teams at Project PAVE, Denver Public Schools Launch Internship Program, and the Broncos Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. We kicked off the day with an inspiring talk from Attorney General Phil Weiser (Colorado Attorney General's Office) about youth mental health initiatives. Our conversation with him about youth collaboration with adults and legislation was truly empowering, igniting ideas for meaningful actions to enhance our communities. He emphasized the crucial role of youth in driving solutions to improve lives and make a positive impact. The real highlight was hearing our incredible youth present their TLG Solution ideas! They challenged existing systems and reinvented initiatives to tackle mental health challenges in their communities. From developing community art events to confront generational trauma to youth-led safe spaces for deep, authentic conversations and innovative websites sharing therapeutic games and resources—each team wowed us with their innovative, community-focused, and sustainable actions. With the support of our fantastic community mentors and leaders in youth empowerment and mental health, our young changemakers left feeling empowered and excited to make a difference. Because when you think like a genius, the future is bright! Thank you to our mentors, sponsors, and grant partners: Youth Roots, Second Wind Fund, MegaStar Financial Corp., Canvas Credit Union, Rogers Behavioral Health, BKV Corporation, City and County of Denver Human Services Youth Empowerment Program, The Beacon Foundation, ANSCHUTZ FOUNDATION, Boettcher Foundation, and Adolph Coors Foundation Your support makes it possible to empower young leaders who build thriving communities!

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️ We're excited to announce the release of part 2 of our Generation Collaboration podcast series featuring an enlightening conversation with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser! In this episode, hosts Litzy Vasquez & Emanuel Morales dive deep into critical topics with the AG, including: TikTok First Amendment rights Mental health Immigration These discussions are crucial for understanding how these issues impact the next generation of Coloradans. Attorney General Weiser emphasizes the importance of hope, especially for our youth, in navigating these complex challenges. Missed Part 1? Don't worry! In the first part, we covered media literacy, artificial intelligence, regulatory agencies, privacy laws, and more. Generation Collaboration is a youth-led podcast focusing on stories of leadership and change throughout Colorado. Our hosts, Litzy and Emanuel, are local high school students passionate about storytelling and learning from their community. In each episode, they connect with local leaders and youth to discuss social and cultural themes through an intergenerational lens. Generation Collaboration is produced in partnership with Colorado Young Leaders and Youth on Record, with support from CiviCO. 👉 Listen to Episodes of Generation Collaboration Let's empower our youth with knowledge and hope! #ColoradoYoungLeaders #YouthLeadership #MentalHealth #FirstAmendment #Immigration #Hope #AttorneyGeneral #PhilWeiser #Podcast #EmpowerYouth https://lnkd.in/g7bvCQNt

Empowering Youth Leaders: TLG Sponsorship Matching Opportunity Expires Soon! Amazing Followers and Champions of Youth - We are excited to share an opportunity with you all. As we gear up for this summer's Think Like a Genius Challenge®, a program of Colorado Young Leaders, we're offering a special matching sponsorship opportunity. We have a generous sponsor ready to match your contribution for the first $1000 sponsorship (or two $500 sponsorships) signed up by June 10th. Just imagine the significant impact your support could have, doubling our ability to empower young leaders and make tangible changes in our communities. TLG isn't just another summer program. It's a program where high school students engage deeply with pressing community issues, developing innovative solutions alongside like-minded peers. Through TLG, we're not just shaping leaders; we're fostering a generation of changemakers. Your sponsorship would play a pivotal role in providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities for these young individuals to thrive. By investing in TLG, you're not just investing in a program, you're investing in the future of our communities. Check out the attached document for more information. Your support means the world to us, and I invite you to share this post with your network. Together, let's empower the next generation of leaders! Want to have a conversation? Please message us and we can explore the many ways you can get involved. Cheers, Jennifer Landers

Way to go Jacob! Give a 👏 to this CYL ‘20 alum!

I have been avoiding this announcement because it gives me the feels! Colorado Young Leaders just celebrated the end of the school year, and my last as the Program Director for the organization. It’s time for me to make space for others in CYL to lead. As I am wrapping up my work, I want to extend a sincere thank you to all who made my time in this organization so incredibly special - especially this current powerhouse team of Jennifer Landers, Flora Block and Hayley Reynolds. Over my 8 years at CYL I have worked alongside so many incredible people and organizations - too many to list here, but know that I have tremendously valued your collaboration, ideation and trust. As what’s next for me, I am looking for ways to use my superpowers of connecting communities, building programs, and empowering youth to make this world a more sustainable and thriving place. I'm also saying yes to coffee - in person and virtual - to learn all about the opportunities out there. I'd love to hear from you so drop a comment or shared connection below! Some photos from the CYL End of School Year Celebration...

We’re excited to have CYL Alum Lily Kerlin join our team for the summer! Lily will be interning with us to support our programs, including the Think Like a Genius Challenge. We share passions for youth mental health and community, and are excited to have her live out her passions with us. Help us give Lily a big CYL welcome! 🥰

Thank you Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General for joining us for a special two-part episode on #GenerationCollaboration! This episode discusses the role of social media on #mentalhealth , AI, immigration, and more! Tune in to part 1 as our hosts, Litzy and Emanuel, dig into issues impacting all Coloradans. As always, this podcast is a co-production of CYL and Youth on Record. Stay tuned for part 2 out in June! 🤔 What issue discussed in this episode do you want to explore further?

I learned how to tackle big issues and tackle them in an approachable way... On Monday, our Central Denver CYL Chapter wrapped up their Community Impact Initiative project, a youth-led community engagement project. This project brought together a variety of partners to package 500 hygiene kits filled with soap, sunscreen, shampoo, oral hygiene items, menstrual hygiene items and other personal care items. Our students learned more about the migrant crisis impacting our city from Charles Gilford III, and worked together to make a small difference in someone's life. Lots of shoutouts to all the partners to help make it happen! Thank you to The Hershey Company and Youth Service America (YSA) for believing in our young people and recognizing our CYLer Bella with the Hershey Heartwarming Young Hero Grant. Thank you to Metro Caring, Rocky Mountain Sunscreen and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage for the generous supplies donations. Thank you to the Trailhead Institute for additional funding support. Thank you to The Guild - Englewood, CO for hosting us and allowing us to take up lots of physical space as we organized all of the donations! Shoutout to our young people for working together to address a big need!