Spring 2026

Spring has sprung! The weather is getting warmer, the leaves are returning to the trees, and our teens want to share what they have been up to at YouthBridge-NY. Over the past few months, we have continued to see engaging dialogue and growth from our teens in our Skillbuilding Workshops and Social Action Committees. Keep reading to hear from our teens about how they relate what they have been learning in our program to their own lives.

BECOMING A LEADER

By Allie Li-Seabrooks

I joined YouthBridge because I wanted to expand my knowledge on community issues and learn things I would most likely never be taught in school. I wanted to know how I could become a leader that can solve problems for my community by knowing what can cause them.

I learned so much during the Immigrant Rights workshop with Adama Bah. We started off by trying to answer questions that would be on a citizenship test. The fact that I knew some citizens that could not answer the questions on this quiz made me wonder just how fair it was. We went around the room, sharing our family ancestry and saw everyone’s family had come from somewhere different, just at different times. The times immigrants came, however, affected their citizenship circumstances.

We then went on to discuss how the citizenship system is broken and restricts many people from living their lives without worry. I was impacted by Adama Bah’s story* because I never knew how bad the citizenship system was and how it could cause innocent people to be seen as suspicious or a threat. I really appreciated that I had the opportunity to learn about something like this because I feel I would’ve never known this struggle otherwise.

There is so much more I look forward to after knowing how much I can learn. Not only do I look forward to learning about different community struggles, but I want to learn about how they occur, and who they affect. I look forward to hearing more stories and continuously learning about the world.

*You can learn more about Adama Bah’s story at Documented.

AIMING TO BREAK BARRIERS

By Natalia Cuatlacuatl

In search of a program that provided students like me opportunities for resources and research, YouthBridge stood out to me as one I needed to participate in. I joined YouthBridge initially to learn more about the committee I was intrigued by, Healthcare Disparities. Through the time I’ve spent with YouthBridge, I’ve learned the real impact that advocacy and research have on people, especially youth. To unite a team of passionate students, like my peers and me gathered at YouthBridge, taught me the value of collaboration. In times where differences divide us, peers I now know as friends through YouthBridge opened new perspectives and experiences in my learning, altering the way I view life and issues within our communities. Being a part of the skillbuilding workshops we have every Thursday introduced new topics that educated us on the world around us.

In March, YouthBridge fellows were joined by Ebonie Simpson from Generation Citizen for our skillbuilding workshop on Civic Engagement. Ebonie, who brought along her adorable pup, began by introducing her role at Generation Citizen, a youth empowerment organization which strives to connect students through civics and advocacy. I recalled attending a Civics Day Event brought together by Generation Citizen with my school’s Civics Club this year, and I was excited to learn more about the organization. As a young advocate, I push myself every day to participate in civic engagement. As Ebonie explained, Generation Citizen gives students the opportunity to share their experiences on issues they face or have seen others face, encouraging youth involvement in civics.

In the near future, I aspire to continue advocating for underserved communities. As someone who grew up to see the impact that issues have on others, including myself, I aim to break the barriers that are placed to prevent youth from being heard. Being a part of YouthBridge is one of the ways I plan on taking action. Staying civically engaged, advocating for reforms, and sharing lived experiences are actions we as students can take toward making a change in our society.