Y Monthly Monday Mission Update – The Power of Youth Voices
With a passion for politics and social change, Chidalu Emy-Munonye is the first to tell you how much she loves the Y. “I consider the Y my third space. It’s a safe place between home and school.”
A student from Urbana High School in Frederick County, Chidalu was first introduced to the Y four years ago through Y Youth and Government, a special program specifically designed to give high school students a hands-on lesson in how government works.
The foundational support was exactly what Chidalu needed to take her love of public policy to the next level. Through her unwavering determination and hard work, last month Chidalu was among 53 students from 25 states selected to participate in Y National Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C.
The Y Youth Advocate Program at National Advocacy Days engages high school students who are passionate about public policy and advocacy and are interested in helping the Y engage our elected officials about critical legislative issues in our three areas of focus: youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
“Growing up you have this idea of what kind of person you want to be and how you can make change. Y Advocacy Days were so valuable to me because I got to sit inside the room where the decisions were being made and where the policies were being discussed. It was an amazing experience. As well as this, I was given the opportunity to speak about the importance of access to quality afterschool and workplace readiness programs,” shares Chidalu.
Zalanka Jones, Senior Director of Teen Experience at the Y, was one of the Y leaders who accompanied Chidalu and her peers to Capitol Hill. Chidalu shared that Zalanka’s support has been critical in her Y journey.
“The Y is committed to creating platforms and opportunities for students to have a voice. Teens like Chidalu are incredibly impressive and it’s so inspiring to see them championing causes and issues that mean a lot to them,” Zalanka shares.
As one of the many participants at the Y’s National Advocacy Days who was definitely not a youth participant, I agree with Zalanka wholeheartedly. Watching Chidalu and her fellow Youth Advocates engage with elected officials, policy experts, Y leaders and others was inspiring and gives me hope that our future is in better hands than we may realize.
As for Chidalu, she will continue to foster her love for making positive change in her community and learn as much as she can from the Y.
“Whether its Youth and Government or Leaders Club, Y programs provide you with a practical space to learn and grow. I can talk about politics all day long but the actual process of writing a bill for youth and government or researching different topics gives me a mechanism through which to express my ideas. There’s a lot of power behind practical experience.”
Keep an eye out for Chidalu and her fellow Y Youth Advocates. They’re working hard on making big things happen!
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland