12th​​ Annual Youth & Peace Conference

“Empathy: The Key to Humanizing & Uniting Our Communities”

​

Friday,​ September 22, 2023

8:00am-1:30pm

Pima Community College West Campus 

​

​

Submit your proposal by noon on Friday, August 4, 2023

​

As our world becomes more interconnected, we are simultaneously experiencing more disconnection. The effects of loneliness and isolation augmented by the pandemic have worsened the already strained mental and behavioral health issues that exist in our nation. Youth across the globe are calling for action, tools, and collaboration to address these pressing issues. 

 

The 2023 YPC Youth Leadership Team is seeking 1-​hour workshop proposals, which support the Team’s ​goals for this year’s conference. Our 2023 Youth Leadership Team believes centralizing Empathy humanizes and unites our communities. Empathy requires us to take time to first recognize that each human being has their own unique story, and then reflect on the fact that we cannot fully know everyone’s story. By empathizing with those around us we are able to understand and connect with them on a deeper level because it allows us to better comprehend their emotions, experiences, and perspectives. When we do not create empathic spaces in our communities, we grow a fear of judgment and invalidation which prevents us from opening up about our mental health. Our Youth Leadership Team encourages our participants to learn about empathy and commit to practicing it daily so that our friends, family, classmates, and others in our community feel a sense of belonging and connection.

 

We are seeking one-hour workshops to educate and empower youth about the following issues: 

1.  Centering Empathy  

2.  Destigmatizing Mental/Behavioral Health

3.  Self Care for Wellbeing

4. Isolation and Social Media

​

During our selection process, the Youth Leadership Team, along with the 2023 YPC Workshop Committee, will prioritize workshops that are participatory and focus on supporting the voices and lived experiences of their youth participants. We are looking specifically for workshops that utilize the time in participatory, engaging, and innovative ways. Workshops will be interactive and will include activities such as small-group discussions, games, polls, and surveys. The workshop committee will be happy to assist you in incorporating these activities into your workshops. We encourage the presentation team to include at least one youth as part of the workshop team. Youth-led workshops are particularly welcome.

​

If you are interested in conducting an hour-long workshop at the 2023 YPC, please submit your proposal by noon, Arizona time on Friday, August 4th. The form asks for a title and description of your workshop, learning objectives, and a brief bio for the presenter(s).  

​

We will inform you of our decision by August 11th. If we receive similar workshop proposals, we may ask about your interest in co-presenting on the topic. 

​

Thank you for your interest in making this conference meaningful, safe and successful. For any questions, contact 2023 YPC Workshop Committee co-chair Brian Eller at brianr.eller@gmail.com. 

​