169 Grand Avenue New Haven, CT 06513 (203) 787-0191 info@juntainc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ana Maria Rivera, (203) 787-0191 +ext. 14
New Haven Youth Gear Up for Week-Long Crash Course in Leadership Skills and Community Change New Haven, CT – On the first day of August next week, over a dozen local high school students between the ages of 13 and 18 will gather for Junta for Progressive Action’s annual Youth in Action boot camp. The 2016 program is entitled “Young Giants,” and it will empower students to participate in their community as agents of change by teaching them leadership skills and fostering discussion of the difficult social and political issues of our times. The camp will largely consist of discussions and panels led by local community leaders, including representatives from CT Students for a Dream, Planned Parenthood, Community Organizing for Racial Equity, and many more. Students will not only learn directly about the issues facing their generation, but also how to write letters to legislators, how to think critically while reading the news, and how to register people to vote. The goal of the camp is for these youth to walk away with concrete skills so they can be leaders in their communities. Junta puts on this camp every year because we know that the future of our community lies in the hands of our young people, whom we must empower to take on the responsibility of progressive social and political change. Furthermore, we know this can be a positive social experience for students struggling with profound challenges in their lives. Alejandra Belin Guajala, one of the students in our year-round Youth in Action after-school program, puts it this way: “you don’t feel alone,” because “we connect with each other over the issues we have in common.” Many of the students in our program are undocumented, are facing difficult home situations and failing schools, and/or have ambitions for college that are challenging to achieve in practice. This camp will bring kids together to help chart a path forward for themselves and their communities. The Young Giants boot camp will take place at Bregamos Theater (492 Blatchley Avenue) from Monday, August 1st through Friday, August 5th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The agenda also includes a tour of City Hall downtown and a visit to the Fair Haven farmer’s market at Quinnipiac River Park to register people to vote.