October 29, 2022- On Friday, around 200 middle school and high school students, accompanied by their teachers and principals in the Macon County area participated in Dr. Sherrod’s Independent Mentoring Program’s 2nd annual youth summit at Millikin University.
“It is basically to bring them together with other kids that they may not normally see on a regular basis at their school, and to see what it is like to be in an environment with kids of all ages, from all different schools throughout Macon County,” Professor Evyonne Hawkins, an adult SIMP leader said.
The summit was led by high school students, who make up SIMP’s youth leadership team. The youth leaders represent five high schools, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Mt. Zion, Maroa-Forsyth, & St. Teresa. Volunteers from elementary schools and Millikin’s fraternities and sororities also participated in the conference.
“This is their opportunity to where it is led by our SIMP youth so therefore those youth got to take back their messages and hear what they had to say, and hopefully they will hear about selfless service and be able to lead in their communities,” Professor Hawkins said.
The summit consisted of several workshops, such as financial literacy, character education, and music therapy. In addition to the workshops, students were treated to an empowerment lunch that included games, obstacle courses, and music. Macon County law enforcement officers were also present at the summit, as violence prevention and bridging the disconnect between police and community are key focuses of SIMP’s message.
The goal of the summit is to give youth a voice. At events such as this summit, youth in the area are given the opportunity to discuss ways to better their schools and their communities.
“We wanted to bring them together, because so often adults talk about what our youth need, but the one face that is missing at the table, is our youth,” Hawkins said. “So this is an opportunity to come together and learn about different aspects of leadership so that they will be ready to step into those positions when they are selected for committees.”
