Riverside, CA – California Freedom Summer (CFS), a project by UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, in partnership with the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside’s Intercollegiate Council of California-Inland Empire, hosted a Youth Leadership Conference on Saturday, October 1st, 2022 at UC Riverside. 

The project, led by Researcher Dr. Veronica Terriquez, included a series of summits spread throughout California. This third summit, “We Belong, IE Freedom Summer” was the first in the Inland Empire and brought together over 130 students from across the region. From Riverside and San Bernardino down to Coachella and Calexico, young students and leaders came together to learn, grow, and take action in their communities. 

The event featured powerful youth-led workshops that covered the topics of civic engagement/voting, community organizing, labor rights, and community investing. Each topic covered incorporated activities and voices that speak from lived experiences and real examples of how they can be change makers and active members of their communities. 

One key component of the summit was to expose students to civic leaders and organizations who are committed to building communities. Guest speakers included Dr. Veronica Terriquez, Director at UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Director of the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside, Resa Barillas, Inland Empire Organizer for CA Environmental Voters, and Omar Gonzalez-Valentino, Director of Behavioral Health at TruEvolution.

Students also had a chance to engage with local organizers and nonprofits. The summit was joined by members from Tru Evolution, TODEC Legal Center, Gente Organizada’s Pomona Student Union, the Warehouse Worker Resource Center’s IE Amazon Workers United, and Project Rebound. 

Despite the geographical boundaries between them and many first introductions, students felt the connections and parallels that their different communities face. Through the sessions held, participants took to the stage to share their experiences from back home.  Many shared the struggles that they and their families face including poor infrastructure, lack of meaningful career opportunities, and environmental concerns. 

The workshops hosted helped translate these experiences and issues of concern into meaningful collective action. While many spoke about their lack of awareness of public policy and limited civic engagement, the summit helped guide them into becoming more informed and active residents within their community. 

By the end, these leaders had a stronger sense of agency and how they can mold their future. With their training and connections during the summit, they intend to take what they learned back home so that they and others can play a more active role regarding issues that affect their community. Though the upcoming election was one main focus, students were reminded that their voice goes beyond the ballot. 

The work does not stop here as future California Freedom Summer summits and programming are in the works. The Center for Social Innovation and Chicano Studies Research Center will also continue to loop these young leaders into other programs and opportunities. Additional youth leadership programming such as TruEvolution's Youth United Conference, California 100's Youth Engagement, and the Intercollegiate Council of California's fall gatherings will provide them with another platform to engage with other young leaders.