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Reimagining Leadership: Centering Youth Voice in Systems Transformation

February 22, 2022

The Stoneleigh Foundation hosted a panel of youth leaders for a discussion about how to incentivize systems and system leaders to seek out youth perspectives and make authentic engagement of young people the norm. 

Young people are the most credible sources of knowledge about their own needs, concerns, circumstances, and communities. Yet too often, their voices and experiences are deprioritized or ignored by the systems intended to serve them. By valuing the inherent expertise and assets that young people possess, we can strengthen system reforms and elevate youth as agents of community transformation.

SPEAKERS

Avani Alvarez
Creative Resilient Youth

Presley Barner
YEAH Philly

Anahi Figueroa-Martinez
Juveniles for Justice

My Le
Youth Art & ​Self-Empowerment Project

Marcía Hopkins (moderator)
Senior Manager, Youth Advocacy Program & Policy
Juvenile Law Center

Who We Are

The Stoneleigh Foundation was founded in 2006 by John and Chara Haas to improve the life outcomes of our community's youth. We meet our mission by awarding Fellowships to exceptional leaders who advance change in the systems that serve these young people.

Our Priorities

We seek to improve the life outcomes of our community’s youth by advancing change in the systems that serve them. Because we believe that youth are best served when systems work together to holistically address their needs, Stoneleigh prioritizes work designed to strengthen coordination between or among these systems.

Our Projects

We award two types of projects that catalyze change within, alongside, and outside of youth-serving systems. Our Fellowship Projects enhance how systems work together, improve practice, shift narratives, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research. Our Youth Engagement Projects support youth-centric organizations that build the leadership and advocacy skills of young people.

Advancing The Field

We are pragmatic and have a bias toward action. We advance the field by hosting public events, publishing policy-relevant research and reports, and elevating the work of our Fellows and grantees in the media.

Apply

We award two types of Fellowships to exceptional individuals who work within and alongside youth-serving systems to catalyze change. Our Fellows undertake projects that enhance how systems work together, improve practice, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research.