Explore scenes from the 2024 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.
Each year, the symposium focuses on a theme to amplify the areas of need and support in the mentoring field. In Building Relationships Through Collaboration and Play, the 2024 CYMS explored how the power of play can be leveraged to strengthen adult-youth mentoring relationships, foster cooperative group dynamics across youth-serving organizations, and form bridges that transcend differences, laying a solid foundation to foster optimism and hope for addressing some of society’s most pressing issues.
Attendees can look forward to:
- Door Prizes
- Theme-Focused Opening Plenary
- Professional & Youth Track Sessions featuring panels, roundtable discussions, and more
- Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year Scholarship Awards
- Interactive Activities
- Dynamic Closing Keynote
Call for Presenters
Each year, YMC seeks highly engaging presenters to deliver content at the CYMS through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Final selected sessions help YMC present a balanced conference that spotlights lived experience, professional experience, and research.
Presenters should aim to demonstrate the following in their session proposal:
- Learning objectives and key takeaways for session attendees
- Their credentials and/or experience discussing the proposed topic
- How they plan to keep participants engaged
- A clear connection to nonprofit management and operations, various mentoring models / strategies, youth development, social justice, mental health, and / or the symposium theme.
Session presenters receive complimentary registration to the CYMS and events taking place throughout.
The 2025 CYMS Call for Presenters will be launching in April 2025 - stay tuned for more information!
This symposium has prepared me to achieve my professional goals by allowing me to network with other mentors and practice my public speaking skills during our workshop. Both of these skills will be very useful in my future career.
2024 Youth Attendee
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Every year, sponsors help YMC provide meaningful experiences, affordable registration fees for nonprofit partners, and produce symposium content and activities that build community while elevating best practices that support high-quality mentoring relationships.
2024 CYMS Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
The mission of the Ciara Arts and Science Foundation is to identify underestimated youth who would like to develop talents in the arts or academia. The Foundation provides scholarships/grants to these children alongside organizations with similar missions. The Foundation funds awareness efforts to encourage minoritized communities to participate in these vital youth programs.
Gold Sponsor
City of Durham Office on Youth
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Concurrent Session Sponsors
Community / Exhibition Sponsors
News & Events
Follow along with our current affairs, including guides, conversations, op-eds, and other news on our blog.
DONATE
One of the best ways to take action is to donate. Learn how you can support Youth Mentoring Collaborative and youth of the Carolinas.
RESOURCE LIBRARY
Our curated resource library is a collection of best practices for youth mentoring programs, including guides, toolkits, and other evidence-based practices that support high-quality mentoring.