David Banner and Jasmen Rogers to Keynote while Jawan Strader Hosts ‘Cocktails & Conversations’ Kickoff
The 6th Annual South Florida Youth Summit (SFYS), presented by L.E.A.D Nation in partnership with the Knight Foundation, will take place October 18-20 under the theme “Youth and Justice” Grammy award-winning music producer, recording artist, philanthropist, speaker, actor and activist David Banner will serve as the keynote speaker for the adult only kick-off event, Cocktails & Conversations. He will be joined by Jasmen Rogers-Shaw, Political Strategist, and Emmy award-winning journalist, NBC 6 anchor and host of Black Voices Jawan Strader will serve as the night’s host.
The Summit is the brainchild of State Representative and L.E.A.D. Nation co-founder Shevrin Jones which is designed to provide knowledge-based enrichment activities in an interactive setting to empower youth to live up to their full potential.
“We are excited about the 6th Annual South Florida Youth Summit. Looking at the direction of our nation and our communities, the time is now that we not only encourage our youth, but we empower them – empower them to do more and greater than they can imagine, to be the change they want to see and be,” Jones said.
As mentioned, the weekend will begin with Cocktails & Conversations featuring Banner and Rogers-Shaw on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Miramar Multi-Service Complex, 6700 Miramar Pkwy in Miramar. During the evening, community leaders, educators, civic leaders and parents will unite for an interactive discussion on empowering youth to be change agents in the community.
The weekend will continue with the Leaders In Training (LIT) Youth Rally on Oct. 19th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Broward College’s South Campus, 7200 Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines. . In addition to the L.E.A.D Nation and the Knight Foundation, the rally is also presented in partnership with the City of Miramar. Its goal is to groom high school students in the region to be effective advocates for issues they believe in.
The finale will be the actual Youth Summit from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Miami-Dade College North Campus, 11380 NW 27 Ave. in Miami. Students will enjoy a full day of seminars, workshops, and panel discussions as well as have the opportunity to become active participants in creating positive and innovative social change in their communities.
Produced by a collaborative group of concerned community leaders and organizations, the Summit aims to create solutions that directly address South Florida’s epidemic of youth violence, lagging graduation rates, increased childhood obesity, and STEM education. This merging of ideas, resources and industries based on the principle of collaboration is a ground breaking initiative.
The Summit targets students in grades 6-12 and provides experiential learning in 6 focus areas:
- STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
- Leadership Development
- Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Financial Education
- Youth Violence Prevention
- Childhood Obesity
The Summit is proudly being brought to you by sponsors LEAD Nation, Knight Foundation, City of Miramar, Broward College, Miami-Dade College, Uber, Sunshine Health, Florida Virtual Schools and Trilogy Education Services.
Partners include: Change Makers Academy, Urban League of Broward County Young Professional Network, Pampered Roots, Broward Young Black Progressives, Avanse Ansanm, Own Your Thrown, How We See It, State Representative Shevrin Jones and Notion Motion.
For more information about the summit and LEAD Nation, visit www.leadnation.org.
