Guest Contributors: Adam Giroux, Operations Coordinator, Molly Strader, Assistant Fort Collins Club Director, and Jenniffer Rodriguez-Vega, Loveland-Pulliam Club Director
We said it last year, and we’ll say it again: our future is bright and only looking brighter. This year, BGCLC Keystone members and staff traveled to the most magical place on Earth, Disney World, for the 59th National Keystone Conference. Keystone Club is a small-group leadership and service program for youth ages 14–18. Thanks to their hard work, both our Loveland-Pulliam and Fort Collins clubs earned Silver Charter Status, qualifying them for the trip. This milestone nearly doubled our conference attendance compared to last year’s trip to Chicago, marking the second consecutive year for the Loveland-Pulliam “Chillstones” and an exciting first-time national conference for Fort Collins!
Day one of the conference was all about how a single action or individual can catalyze a movement. Our teens joined breakout sessions with peers from around the world to dive deep into topics that matter to them, including youth mental wellness and why money matters. To cap off the day, Club members attended a College and Career Expo where everyone received a free blazer and professional headshots to help kickstart their career path after high school.
Over 1300 teens and staff came together on Day two for team-building sessions, a community service project serving local families, and a visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Amid the lineup of speakers and workshops, we witnessed our teens flex their leadership muscles and experience the world outside of our Northern Colorado bubble. Our teens showed no fear in putting their creativity on display, winning the most creative video in the conference-wide scavenger hunt. They also took the initiative to film “man-on-the-street” interviews with other peers and advisors from across the nation.
Our youth embodied this year’s theme of Move the Tide, Raise the Temp. This conference confirmed that our Clubs are filled with incredible young leaders who aren’t afraid to be the ripple that moves the tide. They also bring an energy and confidence everywhere they go that raises the temp, encouraging others to build a brighter future together. We are incredibly proud of Larimer County’s next generation of leaders!
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