Keynote speaker Lamarr Darnell Shield, co-founder of the Urban Leadership Institute in Baltimore, Md., addresses the audience at the Chester Youth Empowerment Summit, held on May 12. The free, day-long summit provided workshops and more to community members in an effort to inspire youth to make positive changes in the community and schools.

Chester, Pa. – The Chester Youth Collaborative and the office of Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green co-hosted, “The Remix, 2007 Chester Youth Empowerment Summit” at Widener University on May 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free event attracted over 300 local community members.

The summit kicked off with introductory remarks by Green, Chester city mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr., and Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland. Participants spent the rest of the day participating in workshops and a talent showcase, listening to keynote speaker Lamarr Darnell Shield, and watching an entertaining performance by hip hop legend Slick Rick.

Shield, author and co-founder of the Urban Leadership Institute, located in Baltimore, Md., spoke about many topics relevant to young adults living in urban communities, including self-empowerment and determination, goal-setting and leading a purpose-driven life, and the ability to control one’s destiny.

Slick Rick performed four of his classic songs, including “Hey Young World” and “Children’s Story,” both of which speak of the social dilemmas many young people face in urban communities.

Workshops at the summit also addressed a myriad of issues including violence prevention, financial literacy, drugs and alcohol, health and wellness, and more.

Organizers hope that lessons learned at the summit will inspire youth to bring about positive changes in their lifestyle choices, their communities and their schools. 

In addition, exhibitors from Big Brothers, Big Sister SEPA, CareerLink, Chester Murals Collective and the Freeman Cultural Arts Center attended the summit.

The Chester Youth Collaborative works to strengthen and support out-of-school youth programs serving youth who reside in the city of Chester. The vision of the collaborative is to build a “strong Chester community in which all youth reach their full potential and transition successfully into adulthood.” To learn how you can get involved in the CYC, contact Ieasa Nichols at 610-497-7422 or ieasa.nichols@crozer.org.