An Evaluation of a Job Well Done!

The Centralina Workforce Development board and the Centralina Youth Council held its first annual State of the Region Youth Services Summit at the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord on Friday September 14,2007.

The Summit had over 70 participants that participated in the first of many annual Youth Summits offered by the Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council.  Guest Speakers included Thomas Barksdale II,a motivational speaker,and Lakeshia Liphford,from Job Corps.  Participants attended workshops in the morning and in the afternoon session,attendees were able to hear from a panel that represented youth agencies.

We were fortunate to get responses via written or electronic evaluations from a total of 58 attendees.  Some of the comments we received were that the Summit "was a great learning experience","very informative","a great opportunity to make new contacts",and "overall,a great summit."  Suggestions for next year's Summit were "to include youth","invite employers and politicians",and to "have workshops teaching independent living skills."

Attendees came from all over the Charlotte USA Region as well as some from out of region.  Guilford County Department of Public Health sent representatives to participate and experience the Centralina Youth Services Summit so that when it came to preparing their own upcoming Youth Summit they could refer back to what occurred at the Centralina Summit.

The workshops were well received by all attendees and had high participation rates.  The workshops included "Digging for Gold: Tips for Successfully Searching for and Securing Grant Money","Make Me Marketable! How the Career Readiness Certification Can Work for Youth!","There's a lot to Learn About Money",and "What's Next for Me? Find Out What There is Out There for Youth After School."  Workshop presenters represented Central Piedmont Community College,Rowan-Cabarrus Community College,The Federal Reserve Bank,and the R3 Center.

For more information on the Centralina Youth Services Summit please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by email at npender@centralina.org.

Tags: Centralina Youth Summit