The Youth Power Summit, led by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) and held at Rutgers Newark, brought together more than 100 young people for a day of connection, learning, and some really important conversations about the future of our city. I had the opportunity to bring greetings on behalf of Victoria Foundation, which was proud to sponsor the gathering.

There was so much energy and possibility in the room. What stood out to me most were the ideas coming directly from young people. From conversations about Vote16 to discussions about reestablishing the Newark Youth Commission, young people were thinking critically about how they can have a greater say in the decisions that impact their lives. It was exciting to see these conversations happening among young people who clearly have ideas about what Newark can and should be.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to support youth organizing through our work to strengthen community power at Victoria Foundation. For me, it’s about more than creating spaces for young people to share their perspectives. It’s about investing in their ability to organize, build relationships, develop their own priorities, and actually influence the decisions being made in their communities.

That is where youth self determination becomes so important. We often talk about young people as our future leaders, but they are already doing the work of imagining and shaping what comes next. As a foundation, I think we have an opportunity to be more intentional about supporting that work and investing in the organizations, relationships, and resources that allow young people to build and sustain their own power.

I left the Summit excited about the possibilities, appreciative of NJISJ’s continued commitment to creating space for youth leadership, and thinking about how we can continue to deepen our support for youth organizing in Newark.