The gun violence in Utica has been impacting youth at an alarming rate. Utica Yes! Youth Empowerment Summit is targeting teens ages 13-18 in inner city areas of Utica to address the impact of gun and gang violence and help show them other positive alternatives in life. Nakia Williams and Senora Pierce are part of the organizing team.
“If you don’t know what the youth want, you can’t assist them in their needs. This is not just to give them information but to get information from them,” Nakia said.
“The overarching theme for this event was to provide a safe place for students to share their truth,” Senora added.
What You Need To Know
- The Utica Yes! Youth Empowerment Summit is for ages 13-18
- Youth can still sign up of event in the Veteran’s Outreach Center’s lobby
- COVID protocols in affect
The youth summit is an extension of Harvest on the Hill, a community-based event that was created to provide kids a safe place to trick-or-treat in the Cornhill area of Utica. But due to the pandemic, the event has not happened since 2019.
“When I break out into my group, I just want to talk about the different experiences that I’ve had in my life and how it’s helped me get to this point that I’m at now. Really just be big brother or mentor to these young guys and be there for anything they need,” Nigel Dunkley said.
Dunkley founded Hoopers Rehab, where he trains local high school and college students in basketball. He says he has been able to use basketball to help mentor teens which he hopes can have an impact on their lives.
The Youth Empowerment Summit takes place tomorrow. I spoke with organizers from the event and a facilitator about why this initiative is so important for Utica’s inner city youth. Tune into @SPECNews1CNY pic.twitter.com/rIAl5FqQiW
— Shalon Stevens (@shalonstevenstv) December 3, 2021
“The youth summit is a great opportunity for these young people to come out and have their voice be heard,” Dunkley said.
“We wanted an authentic experience for the youth that are going to be here. We wanted relatability, we wanted people that are going to be down to Earth. We wanted topics that were real and hit close to home for the students,” Pierce added.
