GONZALES — Youth leaders from Gonzales, Soledad and Greenfield met May 2 for the third annual South County Youth Summit that took place at the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center in Gonzales.
The summit brought together more than 60 South Monterey County youth in grades 8-12 for a day of hands-on workshops. Participants explored healthy cooking with Nayeli Rojas, learned resume-building skills through Dina Uribe and attended a Safe Teen Driving workshop.
City of Gonzales’ Jessica Olmeda was pleased with the collaboration of the event. Olmeda is a co-adviser of the Gonzales Youth Council, along with former youth council member Cindy Aguilar.
“We had the honor of hosting our third annual South County Youth Summit in Gonzales, in collaboration with the youth councils from Greenfield, Soledad and Gonzales,” Olmeda said. “This year was especially meaningful as it marked the first youth-led event hosted at the new Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center.”
The summit was a true reflection of youth voices and leadership as the students advocated for an event centered on post-high school readiness, whether that means exploring career pathways, preparing for college or building essential life skills. This year’s theme, “Beyond the Diploma,” captured their vision of supporting peers as they plan for their futures.
Jose Chavez, City of Greenfield community engagement coordinator, Greenfield Youth Council adviser and Gonzales Unified School District board member, felt the summit empowered and brought more resources to South County youth.
“The South County Youth Summit is about creating opportunities and ensuring our young people have access to the resources, knowledge and support they need to succeed,” Chavez said. “By bringing our communities together, we are investing in the future of South County youth and empowering the next generation of leaders.”
Shelby Anderson, a coordinator of the event from the Gonzales Youth Council, was pleased with the turnout for the event and enjoyed the workshops and fun activities that were provided.
“I feel everything worked out real well as we had our three youth councils attend with youth from Chualar and other towns in the area,” Anderson said. “The workshops were informative and were put together by each city’s youth council. Greenfield organized the safe driving workshop, Soledad coordinated the resume building workshop and Gonzales conducted the culinary skills workshop. We also had fun activities during the breaks and at lunch time.”
Participating in the Resource Fair at the Youth Summit were the following organizations: Loaves, Fishes and Computers; United Way Monterey; The Epicenter; EAOP; Skills USA/Adult School; Monterey-Salinas Transit; City of Greenfield; Gear Up; Hartnell College; Girls Inc. Central Coast; Friday Night Live; Transportation Agency for Monterey County; Breathe California; Wonder Wood Ranch; Monterey County Elections; Valley Health Associates; Wellness Services; and Harmony at Home. La Plaza Bakery provided lunch for this year’s Youth Summit.
