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UNITY + ACTION = IMPACT

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August 13th, 2023 to August 17th, 2023

True Colors United Impact Summit

The Impact Summit brings together real-life superheroes using their powers for good.

The HUD-approved 2023 Youth Action Summit will bring together at least 50 young people with lived experience who are working at the local level to end youth homelessness. Co-developed with the National Youth Forum on Homelessness and True Colors United staff, Youth Action Summit attendees will develop and exchange best practice, receive targeted trainings, and create national strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness through the theme of Moving Towards Liberation: Joy and Community in Movement Building.

We’re proud to share that the Impact Summit is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Therefore, project administrative funds awarded under the CoC and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Programs may be used to attend the Conference.

Agenda

Sunday, August 13, 2023 (Travel Day)

Early Registration | 6pm – 8pm 

Monday, August 14, 2023 (Summit Day 1)

Registration Opens | 9am

Breakfast | 930am

Gworl Finally | 10am – 10:30am 

  • It’s About Damn Time! After 4 long years the Summit has returned. Come kick off the Summit and join your comrades for opening remarks.

“Been there, done that, Now what? | 10:30am – 11:45am

  • We’ll start off with a series of 3 short (5 minute) lightning rounds where presenters will talk about the history of YHDP from ideation all the way to round 7. Lightning rounds will be followed by a panel discussion about where we are now, the future of YHDP, and YAB sustainability. 

Break | 11:45am – 12:15pm

Keynote/Plenary | 12:15am – 1pm 

Lunch | 1pm – 2pm

Break | 2pm – 2:30pm 

Breakout sessions | 2:30pm – 3:30pm 

  • Y-VAL: Youth Voice Assessment and Community Resource Mapping – In this session, attendees will learn about community resource mapping and the Y-VAL, a tool for youth voice assessment. Attendees will have powerful conversations about how to apply these methods, improve our collaboration with young adults, and advocate for youth leadership and resource accessibility. 
  • Youth-Led Provider Rating and Training Systems: a Vehicle for Enacting Liberatory Community Change – Getting communities to fully incorporate YAB leadership in tangible community change-making processes can be difficult and confusing. In this session, presenters will discuss approaches to breaking down silos, building mechanisms for community accountability, and ensuring the values and vision you’ve collaboratively built and agreed to become successfully implemented. =
  •  Get a Clue – Allyship and Adultism- A breakout session designed specifically for adult partners to learn more about how to support youth and young adults in the work without limiting their autonomy. Share best practices, solutions, and support models for working alongside young people.

Project Network: “Gotta Shake it Up” | 3:45pm – 4:45pm

  • Get to know fellow attendees. You never know who you might connect with! Building a community collaboratively brings about change. 

We Said What We Said | 4:45pm – 5:00pm

        • Recap Youth Action Summit Day 1

Feelin Good as Hell – Opening Reception | 6:30pm – 8:30pm

  • Performances by members of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness, staff and maybe some surprise guests. DJ JWigz will be spinnin’ beats for the dance floor following performances. Come kick it with your fellow attendees and enjoy some snacks, games, and camaraderie.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023 (Summit Day 2)

Breakfast | 930am

Morning Boost | 10am – 10:30am

  • Join your comrades to kick off the Youth Action Summit Day 2 as we really start to focus in on impacted communities. 

“Talk Money to Me” | 10:30am – 11:15am

  • Hear local and national funding experts discuss types of funding streams for communities to pursue and barriers/successes to accessing funding in 5 minute lightning round style talks. Prior to the lightning rounds Amanda Andere will discuss the importance of investing in community-driven projects, navigating challenges grassroots organizations experience with existing funding norms and how we shift power back to BIPOC communities.

Break | 11:15am – 11:45am

Centering Disability Justice: Nothing For Us Without Us | 11:45am – 12:45pm

  • Disability justice examines disability and ableism as they relate to other forms of oppression and identity, such as race, class, and gender. Join us in discussing the significance of advocacy and community collaboration to create safer spaces for queer/trans youth with disabilities. 

Lunch 1:15pm – 2:15Pm

Breakout sessions | 2pm – 3pm

  • Safety First: Harm Reduction, Supporting Sex Trafficking Survivors and Decriminalizing Sex Work – An informative and grounding space for those who have engaged in sex work, are sex trafficking survivors and/or their advocates. Learn tools and legalities for staying safe and being supported. Find out how specific legislation can help, hinder or harm these groups.
  • This is What I Wanna See – Ballroom History & Culture:  The House/Ballroom History and Culture Workshop is a transformative experience that delves into the vibrant world of LGBTQ+ dance, specifically focusing on the history and culture of the House and Ballroom scene. This workshop aims to educate, empower, and honor the rich legacy of dance and expression within the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Rising against Resistance: Young People To The Front – An important conversation on elevating lived experience, ensuring that young people with lived experience have and are aware of their decision-making power in addressing youth homelessness.

Break | 3pm – 3:30pm

Breakout sessions | 3:30pm – 4:30pm

  • Immigration Status as a Cause for Houselessness – This session will focus on how to avoid blanket advocacy in the movement to end youth houselessness when most of the resources we fight for will not include people of color without US citizenship or other eligible immigration statuses.
  • Digital Advocacy: The Radical Takeover – The first half of the breakout session will include guidelines on using technology to create, promote, and mobilize support for a particular cause or campaign. The second half will go into tools and recommendations for creating engaging and on trend content. This session is intended to provide holistic support and resources to mobilize community around causes impacting them.
  • Healing through Movement: This breakout session will explore the four bodies of self: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. After a guided discussion and small group activity centered around the four bodies, participants will be led in a beginner friendly yoga session to actively incorporate concepts from discussion. 

Break | 4:30pm – 5pm

Closing Time: Call to Action | 5pm – 5:30pm

  • Take an opportunity to say goodbye to your Summit bestie, snap a photo, and hear about what’s next for Youth Action in the movement to end youth homelessness. 

Wednesday, August 16, 2023 

Explore DC on your own

  • There are many free attractions in DC including museums, monuments and parks. We will provide a list of potential activities for inspiration

Thursday, August 17th, 2023 

  • Travel Day
Share your smarts.
At the Impact Summit, you'll meet inspiring speakers and attendees ready to share, learn, and grow alongside you. Check out these videos from the 2018 Summit for a look at what to expect.

Get ready to dream as big as you possibly can.

At the Impact Summit, you’re invited to dream big. The Summit is a safe space for you to learn, grow, and exist free from judgement and harm. We also think of the Summit as a brave space, where you can ask hard questions, have challenging conversations, and expand the horizons of what you thought possible (for more on that topic, watch the video to the left).

This year's program is going to leave you 🤯.

The Impact Summit features some of the most brilliant  speakers in the world – and they’re getting ready to leave your brain stuffed with knowledge. 

Calling all superheroes.

Unite with fellow advocates, service providers, funders, government officials, and of course, young people in our quest to prevent and end youth homelessness.
Register today

A super convenient location.

The 2023 Youth Action Summit will be held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel!

Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel

2800 Potomac Avenue, Arlington, VA 22202

Book Hotel

Make lasting connections.

We're all working towards one united goal: preventing and ending youth homelessness. Everyone brings different strengths and a unique perspective to the table (psst...that includes you!), so expect plenty of networking opportunities!
Register today

SPONSORS

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Who is attending the Youth Action Summit?

A) True Colors United is sponsoring up to 50 young people ages 18-28 who have lived experience of homelessness or housing instability to attend the Summit. We are also asking adult partners to attend with Youth Action Board representatives 

Q) Do I need to be a member of a local Youth Action Board to Attend?

B) Yes, you need to be a member of a local youth action board OR you need to be an adult partner to a YAB representative. 

Q) What is my role as an adult partner?

A) TCU wants to ensure everyone attending has someone familiar they can turn to for support if need be. We’ll also have staff on hand for crisis mental health issues or conflicts that may come up, but it would be helpful to have organizational partners support with lower level things – making sure they know when and where to show up, etc. It could also be helpful for adult partners to debrief with YAB representatives post-conference since a lot of big ideas and feelings may come up – or even to help bring back new ideas to the work you all do locally.

Q) When is the deadline to register?

A) Registration for the Summit is currently closed. 

Q) Will TCU cover travel to and from the airport?

A) Yes, TCU will cover airfare, hotel, ground transportation to and from the airport, and per diem for 50 youth scholarship recipients. If you are not sponsored by TCU, you will need to cover these expenses yourself or with the help of an adult partner/your employee/your YAB.

Q) If accepted, when will I hear from the travel agent? 

A) If you are a scholarship recipient and  you have not heard from the travel agent please reach out to True Colors United as soon as possible so we can make arrangements. Summit@truecolorsunited.org

Q) When/How will I receive my per diem? 

A) Scholarship recipients can pick up their per diem with their registration materials either on the evening of Sunday, August 13th from 630-830 pm OR on the morning of Monday, August 14th at 9am before programming starts.

Q) What are some things I can expect to learn at the Summit?

A) Expect to learn from peers about community and national responses to youth and young adult homelessness, movement building, policy advocacy, and centering wellness in our work. We’ve included a detailed agenda above. 

Q) Is this conference HUD approved?

A) Yes! The Summit is HUD approved and recipients (adult partners/Youth Action Board liaisons) can use project administrative funds to attend.

Q) If I am the adult organizational partner, where can I register?

A) Registration is now closed for the Youth Action Summit. 

Q) Are there other ways to seek funding support to attend as an adult organizational partner?

A) We suggest reaching out to a local/regional funder or an elected official for one-time support to attend this summit.

Q) If I’m the organizational partner, do I need to stay for Explore DC day on 4/16?

A) It’s up to you!

Q) Is there anything else I need to know?

A) We will be sending out a detailed safety plan to all attendees prior to the Summit. This safety plan will have all the information you need (including direct contact information for staff) in case something happens with your travel, you have a direct question, or a safety concern. 

Q) Where can I find out more?

A) Email us at summit@truecolorsunited.org.

 

WE ARE:

VIBRANT.
DIVERSE.
BRAVE.
INSPIRATIONAL.
PROUD.
COLLECTIVE.
TRANSFORMATIVE.
UNITED.