Mike Wolanin | The Republic Youth Ambassadors dance the Macarena during the Youth Empowerment Summit at the Columbus Learning Center in Columbus, Ind., Friday, March 27, 2026.
Nearly 140 students from around the county arrived at the Columbus Learning Center Friday morning for a day filled with looking inward and considering how to find balance in a chaotic world at an age that makes that increasingly difficult.
The Council for Youth Development’s (CYD) Youth Empowerment Summit is an all-day student leadership conference, organized by CYD’s 22 youth ambassadors. It featured a keynote speaker, interactive breakout sessions and community partner tables who share resources, job opportunities and scholarship information for students.
The youth ambassadors work to develop the theme for the summit, as well as ideas for the breakout sessions. This year’s theme was “Finding Your Balance.”
Stephanie Serriere, professor of education at IU Columbus and director of the I-Engage Civic Empower Program, was the morning’s keynote speaker, giving her remarks after a short introduction from Mayor Mary Ferdon.
Serriere brought the energy right away, sharing a little about her life growing up and providing three strategies about finding balance. Serriere discussed the importance of undergoing regular “energy audits” and being cognizant of the emotional frequencies attendees put out into the world.
“The youth ambassadors were literally lined up, cheering people on the way in,” Serriere told The Republic. “That felt like a cup of coffee.”
“This community does so well in ushering them into being more community-oriented,” Serriere continued.
Students visited three different breakout sessions, all focused on the summit’s theme. Janae Garner Kelley, a Healthy Communities Action Specialist and Child Fatality Review Coordinator, discussed “maintaining balance.”
Turning Point’s Cassie Davidson, Director of Prevention, and Stephanie Cunningham, Community Prevention Program Specialist, led a session on “social equilibrium.”
CSA New Tech’s 2026 Teacher of the Year Bajorn Gaylord put together a breakout session on the “art of emptying.”
Youth Empowerment Coordinator Freddie King was the quarterback for the event, directing the flurry of activity in what was the most well-attended Youth Empowerment Summit to date.
“They’re a very dynamic group of young leaders,” King said of this year’s cohort of youth ambassadors. “They just have great perspectives on the world and they have so much to say.”
Leaning into the event’s theme, students had access to a calming space, conducted mindfulness prompts and took more in sensory art through Inclusive Options.
“We want them to be inspired and empowered to get involved. We want them to use their voice and seek opportunities for leadership,” King said. “We want them to be mindful of how they are navigating their world and making sure that they are protecting what is theirs: their time, their energy and giving themselves permission to take ownership of that.”
Applications to become part of next year’s youth ambassador cohort went live on Friday, and will be open until April 24.
“If you are maybe nervous to be a youth ambassador, then you are the perfect candidate,” King said. “Because it’s about growth, it’s about expanding beyond what you thought you could do.”
