RIZE

PA Youth Summit 2026 Recap
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, Capital Blue Cross and Tower Health, along with our partners, facilitators, presenters, panelists, resource table organizations, volunteers, educators, youth leaders, photographer Don from Studio 513, videographer JPosted of JP Productions. To the Reading School District Administrative Team, Lehigh Valley Charter School, Children’s Home of Reading, Alvernia University interns, the 129th Youth Council, Wilson School District, Wyomissing School District, and the team at Moravian University. To our host site, Penn State Berks. To Centro Hispano, Communities In Schools, the Harwood ASA Team, Brandy Del Gallego, Olivet Boys & Girls Club, and VOiCEup. Kasper Valentin singing the National Anthem, followed by welcome remarks from Dr. Radha Pyati, Chancellor of Penn State Berks, Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, and Dr. Khalid Mumin, Superintendent of the Reading School District, A special thank you to our youth emcees, Alexiyani Williams and Juliana Lightfoot. We were honored to welcome featured youth speaker TaLisa DeJesus-Watts. Yocum Institute for Arts Education, featuring the theatre presentation “At Some Point, We Have to Talk.” In Amplifying Youth Voice Through Arts & Media, students worked with Rosa Julia Parra of Palo Magazine and Edna Garcia-Dipini, CEO of RIZE Youth Arts Organization, exploring how storytelling, media, and creative expression can shape narratives and strengthen community voice. In Know Your Rights & Civic Power, students were guided through important conversations by Angelica Rojo-Monserrate of the Greater Reading Immigration Project, along with Myrna Fuchs of the Greater Reading Immigration Project, Attorney Adriana Zambrano from Aldea, and District Judge Priscilla Campos. In Youth Entrepreneurship & Career Pathways, students connected with Gary Siebert of Emerging Entrepreneur Academy, Jenny Rodriguez of Penn State Berks, and Daniel Sansary of NHS Greater Reading. During lunch, students heard from keynote speaker Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez,
The afternoon continued with ASK Tool Community Conversations, facilitated by Berks County youth leaders. The summit also included a powerful Social Justice Panel facilitated by Victor Cabral, featuring Shayna Canty, former PA State Youth Commissioner, and Evan Nagle, President of the 129th Youth Council. With gratitude,RIZEYouth Arts Organization, Berks Youth Violence Prevention Roundtable, Berks4Peace Campaign

PA Youth Summit 2026 Recap

What a powerful day of youth voice, leadership, creativity, and civic engagement. ✨

The PA Youth Summit brought together students, educators, community leaders, artists, advocates, and partners for an interactive day centered on youth power, youth wellness, civic responsibility, career exploration, entrepreneurship, and healing through the arts.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, Capital Blue Cross and Tower Health, along with our partners, facilitators, presenters, panelists, resource table organizations, volunteers, educators, youth leaders, photographer Don from Studio 513, and videographer Joshua Dipini of JP Productions, who helped make this day possible.

A special thank you to our keynote speakers, TaLisa DeJesus-Watts and Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez, for pouring wisdom, courage, identity, purpose, and inspiration into our young people.

From the Youth Resource Fair to the breakout sessions, ASK Tool Community Conversations, arts and wellness programming, keynote messages, and social justice panel, our students were not just sitting in a room listening — they were moving, rotating, asking questions, sharing stories, building relationships, connecting with resources, and stepping into their leadership.

Thank you to Penn State Berks for hosting us, and to the Reading School District Administrative Team, Lehigh Valley Charter School, Children’s Home of Reading, Alvernia University interns, 129th Youth Council, Wilson School District, Wyomissing School District, Moravian University, Centro Hispano, Communities In Schools, the Harwood ASA Team, Brandy Del Gallego, Olivet Boys & Girls Club, Yocum Institute for Arts Education, and VOiCEup for helping make this regional and statewide movement possible.

To every young person who attended: we cannot wait to connect with you again in the fall.

You are not waiting for the future.

You are the now.

CivicEngagement YouthWellness ArtsAndHealing ViolencePrevention ReadingPA PennStateBerks YouAreTheNow
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