Envisioning the Future
Young People Lead at the NextGen Changemakers Event
This past summer, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, together with DoSomething and Generation Citizen, hosted the NextGen Changemakers Summit, an all-day event where creative and civically-minded teens joined us to channel their artistic talents toward advocacy and community building.
With 156 youth in attendance, the event was a success—90% said they enjoyed the activations.
Participants embarked on a series of dynamic, hands-on activities intended to spark dialogue about the challenges and opportunities facing their communities. A Spoken Word Workshop encouraged self-expression through poetry and storytelling, while the Civic Speakers Convo brought community voices to the forefront, who shared more about their own civic journeys. Expanding on these conversations, the Civic Table Visioning session asked teens to articulate their ideal futures, map the needs of their neighborhoods, and explore real civic levers to bring those visions to life. The day culminated in collaborative group presentations, giving participants a platform to share their ideas and inspire each other with tangible action steps.
In addition to nurturing youth creativity and imagination, the NextGen Changemakers Summit was an opportunity to demonstrate civic engagement. DoSomething, in collaboration with Generation Citizen, led voter registration and civic education efforts, empowering young attendees with the tools and knowledge to navigate upcoming elections and understand the power of their vote. This dynamic integration of art, advocacy, and civic readiness underscored the Summit’s mission: empowering young people to stand up, speak out, and actively shape the future they want to see.
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