Recap of the 2020 Massachusetts Youth Leadership Forum

Slide reading 'Welcome to the Self-Advocacy & Leadership Workshop'

Partners for Youth with Disabilities is host to the Massachusetts Youth Leadership Forum (YLF), part of the national Youth Leadership Forum, held annually in the summer for young people with disabilities. This year’s free conference ran for 11 days from June 15 through June 29 and provided 41 peer leaders and delegates with opportunities to build leadership skills and learn about employment skills, advocacy, disability pride, career mentoring, independent living and disability services.

For the first time, YLF was virtual. All small and large group discussions and workshops were online, but participation and engagement were not diminished.

There were many highlights of YLF, including the legislative advocacy panel and discussion. Participants learned what advocacy meant to each panelist and came away with action steps for their own advocacy plan. Read more about the panel and discussion here.

The Career Readiness Luncheon featured Ray Grand, a former PYD participant and now a successful entrepreneur. Ray shared his story on becoming a successful author, speaker, and life coach. Check out a recording of Ray’s inspirational story here.