Youth Conference - Community Can Cultivate Change

Mission Statement

The Youth Conference aspires to create a safe space for middle and high school students in the San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside counties, to explore, inspire and celebrate the San Gabriel Valley communities.

BYC ’26 Online Registration

The Draper Center for Community Partnerships and a student leadership team are excited to announce the 3rd Annual Youth Conference on February 7, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Youth Conference is designed to inspire pride and excellence among middle and high school students through thought provoking workshops, hands-on activities, and engaging conversations with current college students from the Claremont Colleges. Separate workshops are designed for students and parent/guardians.

This year’s conference theme is Community Can Cultivate Change. We have an exciting day planned to build the community. The Draper Center and a student leadership team will kick off the day with a panel discussion followed by 3 college student-led workshops titled: A Hidden Chemistry, A Community Dream, and Marvel Meets Movement. During the lunch hour, guests can enjoy a resource fair, a catered lunch on the Smith Campus Center patio, and interactive activities. Our afternoon program will continue with an uplifting vocal performance and an inspiring message from a dynamic keynote speaker.

Parents and students must register separately.

Please register: BYC ’26 Online Registration

BYC ’26 Theme Breakdown

The Youth Conference is to teach, reflect and learn from our youth in the surrounding areas near Pomona College. This year we decided to focus on learning about what it really means when we talk about our community’s history. Although we can’t fit the entirety of this topic into three workshops, we wanted to highlight these three topics:

• A Hidden Chemistry
• A Community Dream
• Marvel Meets Movement

Below you will find the description of each workshop.

A Hidden Chemistry

Facilitators: Eze Miguel Iheanacho ‘26 and Prof. Daniel J. O'Leary

Put on your gloves and googles! For the first time in BYC history we’ll be hosting Hidden Chemistry where we uncover the important contributions Black scientists have brought to our community and the science behind how they did it. We’ll talk about researchers like Percy Julian and Charles Drew whose work have driven progress and saved lives. Students will participate in a series of safe, at-home experiments where they’ll get to experience the joy of discovery and take one step closer to the lab.

A Community Dream

Facilitators: Oluwasemilore Osunkeye ‘28 and Carlineissa Jean Francois ‘27

For Everyone by Jason Rynolds encourages us to dream. Dream for us, read for our future, and Dream for our community. We will be diving into how our personal dreams connect to building and cultivating a community through the ability to have dreams. Get ready to dig deep and express yourself most joyfully to find our one dream.

Marvel Meets Movement 

Facilitators: Aminah Augustin ‘28 and Alexis Allen ‘29

The Marvel Meets Movement Workshop invites students of all ages to explore how history, debate, and community-building come together to spark social change. Using the BYC ’26 theme “Community Can Cultivate Change” as our guide, students will connect Black historical leaders like Thurgood Marshall and Stokely Carmichael with the contrasting leadership styles of Marvel’s Iron Man and Captain America. Through age appropriate activities ranging from “This or That” games for the younger students, to structured debates and conflict resolution exercises for middle and high schoolers. Participants will reflect on how different values, strategies, and approaches to leadership can work together. By the end of the workshop, students will leave with a deeper understanding of how they can transform their own ideas, beliefs, and values into action that strengthens community and drives positive change.