Already Shaping Our World: Reflections on Youth-Led Change in New Jersey

I have the pleasure of serving Newark communities not only as a member of the community, but as a strategy officer at the Victoria Foundation. As a new member of the team, the last month has been full of introductions, deepening relationships, and diving in to support the work happening right now to make Newark a place where its residents can thrive and build good lives for ourselves and our families.

In Newark and Princeton, two Youth Power Summits were strong examples of this energy and effort, brought together the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, a long-time partner of Victoria Foundation and partner in our Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative. The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice has done so much work to support young people stepping into their own leadership and power to shape our world, including Vote 16 efforts.

Igniting Conversations, Inspiring Action

The summits in Newark and in Princeton were about youth power: young people are not just the future, but the present.

Too often we hear that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. The truth is young people are the leaders of today. Their leadership is already shaping their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

These summits were a chance to build on that leadership: to dream boldly, to connect with one another, and to shape a vision for the kind of New Jersey young people want to live in.

I had the honor of joining and sharing a few words at the Princeton Summit. The energy was undeniable. Young people took on the challenging topic of our day: conversations on college access, immigration justice, voting rights, reparations, grassroots organizing, and digital advocacy. These are not abstract policy topics. These are issues that shape our daily lives, opportunities, and futures.

The discussions left young people not only more educated on the mechanics of civic engagement but, more importantly, with a greater understanding of their own inherent power to create change.

These gatherings reaffirm what we have witnessed: Young people in New Jersey aren't waiting their turn. They are already building the world we need. Victoria Foundation is honored to stand alongside them in that journey.

Young people are the best positioned to reimagine what justice, safety, and equity can look like in New Jersey. When they have the opportunity to come together with civic and city leaders, I encourage young people with simple advice: don't hold back. Participate fully. Ask hard questions. Share your truth. Challenge the people around you, and let yourself be challenged. Most importantly, build connections.

The movements that change history are never built alone, they're built by people who find one another, who come together, and who decide to act.

Aligning with a Vision for a Thriving Newark

Victoria Foundation is committed to strengthening community power, advancing economic justice, and promoting youth self-determination. We know that when young people and communities are supported with the right tools and opportunities, they don't just survive, they thrive.

This philosophy is the driving force behind our Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative, which equips residents and youth to transform their own neighborhoods from within.

The same principles that guide the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative was alive and well at the summits: those closest to the challenges must be closest to the solutions. The young leaders in attendance are the experts on their own experiences, and their ideas are the key to unlocking a more just future.