2007 Youth Leadership Summit Reflection
June 12-14, 2007 - Salt Lake City, UT

The 2007 Youth Leadership Summit theme "Setting the Pace" focused a keynote address by Keith Nord, former NFL Minnesota Viking player and numerous breakout sessions on a variety of ways students can be visible and active leaders in their school communities. Students acquired new knowledge on issues relevant to creating positive communities and learned how to empower others in leadership roles. Each year the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring collaborates with area educational entities, state agencies, volunteer organization, state government offices, and businesses. These partners contributed to the overall planning and execution of the program as well as providing informational sessions on anti-bullying, civic engagement, service-learning, character education and team building activities which help create a positive school culture. The state of Utah and the Salt Lake City region offer a wealth of resources for schools as demonstrated by the partners involved in the Summit. The Summit took place on the University of Utah campus providing students with a taste of campus life for two nights and days. The beautiful Rice Eccles Stadium, Heritage Center, as well as the Student Union hosted Summit activities. Many schools have made the Youth Leadership Summit an annual event for leadership training. Spring Valley High School in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada has sent a team of students and teachers for the past three consecutive years. Armando Del Rayo Dorantes, a student for Spring Valley High School has been a member of the team for the past two years. This year Armando was nominated and received the 2007 Community of Caring Outstanding Student Award. Armando honed his leadership skills while attending the Summit and implemented strategies learned in his school. His teacher says, "Armando returned from the Summit with new ideas and leadership skills which he used to become one of the great student leaders of Spring Valley High School."

2007 Youth Leadership Summit Proud Sponsors and Partnerships: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring, University of Utah, Utah State Office of Education, Utah Federation for Youth, Utah Commission on Volunteers, Tanner Center for Nonviolent Human Rights Advocacy, University for Utah Athletics Department, Human Rights Education Center of Utah, Learn and Serve America, Learning for Life, Boys and Girls Clubs, Ogden City Schools, Brown & Bigelow, Popcorn Educational Media, Utah PTA