Are you between 14 and 24 years old? Are you a leader amongst your peers? Do you believe in service to your community? Do you have experience speaking to an audience and sharing your story? If so, then this is the opportunity for you! 

Serve DC - The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism is looking for youth living or serving in DC between the ages of 14 and 24 to share their story on service and leadership. On May 13-14, 2009, Serve DC will host the 2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership. This year’s conference is themed From Nice to Necessary and will focus on bridging the gap between episodic, occasional volunteering and daily, constant volunteerism to help develop a lifetime of service.  In order to make this event spectacular, we invite you to apply to share your story of service and leadership during the lunch plenary session on Thursday, May 14th at 12:30pm. Youth are encouraged to discuss:

• Their role in the Washington, DC community, the responsibility they feel towards being part of the local service movement, or the impact service or leadership has had on their life. 
• Suggestions and advice to conference attendees on how to improve service and leadership opportunities for young people in Washington, DC.

Youth have the ability to inspire and affect change in their community; we are looking for youth who can articulate that message and share their story with confidence and pride.

It is Serve DC’s belief that tomorrow’s leaders are ever present in local communities but they need resources, access to funding, and training to connect an idea to a sustainable, supported community project or program. The 2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership will serve as the first of many tools to assist leaders in creating the change in which they seek. The conference is based on three main themes that represent the continuum of growth that leads to healthy and strong communities: Leadership, Collaboration, and Sustainability. The Conference will engage AmeriCorps members, Learn and Serve America program directors, AmeriCorps program directors, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, and representatives from community and faith based organizations.  In addition, the event will feature the Mayor’s Community Service Awards Ceremony to celebrate the great works of leaders and organizations of local communities. 

If you are interested in sharing your story, please complete the Youth Speaker Application* and email it to Jaime Spilken, Learn and Serve Program Officer, by April 6, 2009. We encourage you to apply!