The 2022 Carolinas Youth Mentoring Symposium

Looking back on the 2022 Carolinas Youth Mentoring Symposium.

What is the Carolinas Youth Mentoring Symposium?

The Carolinas Youth Mentoring Symposium (CYMS) is an annual gathering that brings together mentoring practitioners, researchers, philanthropic investors, youth leaders, government and civic leaders, and others interested in exploring how to expand mentoring initiatives that promote the health and well-being of young people and families most impacted by systems of oppression.

2022's Symposium featured topics like elevating the power of identity-affirming mentoring relationships, providing practitioners with practical tools and knowledge to bring to their work, and introducing a youth track with opportunities for young people to explore their potential. With the 2022 Symposium, we wanted to uplift Black and Brown youth and mentoring practitioners that navigated the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; our theme was "The Courage to Thrive."

Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year Scholarship

This year, we awarded three North Carolina high school students with a $20,000 scholarship to be applied in their post-secondary education. This four-year, half-tuition scholarship is called the Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year Award.

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2022 Recipients

Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year

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Opening Plenary

Watch our Opening Plenary conversation, "Youth POWER: Leadership in Action." This conversation featured City of Durham Office on Youth Project Assistant & NCCU Student Jaylen Segers; General Services Foundation Executive Director & UNC-CH Student Sonali Ratnasinghe; Youth Mentoring Collaborative Board Member & NC State Student Justice Skinner; and Black and Belonging's CEO and Founder & moderator DeLeon Gray.