The National Service Learning Conference: A Youth's Perspective

By Siddharth Damania, NYLC Youth Advisory Council

BRINNNGGG! Good morning, this is the Hilton's morning wake up ca …

I slammed down the phone and rushed to the bathroom to get ready for another jam-packed day at The National Service- Learning Conference. Held this year under the California sun, the gathering of 2,900 people brought nearly 1,000 youths to the Long Beach Convention Center for the 16th year of this event.

At first, the hundreds of workshops seemed daunting, but the experience of interacting with people from Alaska to Algeria to Los Angeles to Pakistan quickly got rid of that initial inhibition. Partaking in interesting and eye-opening workshops, luncheons, roundtable discussions, and plenary sessions while meeting new friends through youth-friendly activities — including the Project Ignition party focused on teen driving safety — are some of the greatest opportunities we, the next generation of leaders, can experience.

So what exactly is the conference like for a youth? Start the day by enjoying breakfast, while hearing from some of the most inspiring speakers. This year's conference featured keynote addresses with important messages for today's youths. We heard the story of teacher Erin Gruwell, who came to a city high school and inherited a freshman English class filled with the so-called failures in the district. She showed these students how to put their stories of drugs, alcohol, gangs, and inner-city violence into words. Four years later all of these students graduated. Their writings have since been published in "The Freedom Writers: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them."

Another plenary session featured motivational speaker Mawi Asgedom, who, at age eight, fled Ethiopia's tyrannical rule along with his family. In addition to sharing his message through books and recordings, Asgedom has spoken to a quarter of a million students throughout the nation.

Throughout a typical conference day we engaged in a broad array of workshops, meetings, and on- and off-site service projects. There was something for everyone; in fact, conference planners created the Youth Track, a special set of activities specifically geared towards the youth audience. And if we got tired at any point, we could always head to the Youth Room and chill out with other young people from around the globe.

Through a combination of service, learning, and fun, The 16th Annual National Service- Learning Conference was well suited for all youths.

Don't miss out on the fun next time! See you in Philly, March 22-25, 2006, for the 17th conference, where the theme will be We the People.