Colorado State Youth Council
The State Youth Council (SYC) is a sub-committee of the Education & Training Steering Committee of the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC). The SYC advises and champions the creation of multiple pathways to economic and career success for Colorado’s youth. The SYC serves as the youth expertise body of the CWDC and will:
- Identify and champion promising practices advancing youth talent development.
- Engage youth on their expertise and lived experiences to inform decisions.
- Advise on how to best engage youth in career-connected learning opportunities.
- Provide recommendations on policies and practices impacting youth talent development.
- Make recommendations for use of SYC funds.
The State Youth Council convenes quarterly to set the direction of initiatives and programs impacting youth talent development in Colorado. During 2020-2021 the SYC has chosen to focus on advancing the following strategic priorities:
- Support employers in creating welcoming workplaces for youth.
- Promote behavioral and mental health supports for workplace success.
- Accelerate and champion registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeships for youth.
2020-2021 Values:
- Youth engaged as partners and decision makers
- Dignity in all pathways
- Collaboration
- Sustainability
- Agility
- Inclusivity
- Operational excellence
State Youth Council Members
State Youth Council (SYC) appointees serve two-year terms as voting members of the SYC and work to promote and advise the CWDC on efforts to create multiple pathways to economic and career success for Colorado’s youth. The SYC is made up of young leaders under the age of 26, state agency members, and representatives from Colorado non-profits and other community-based organizations.
- Executive Committee Members
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Cameron Vigil, Young Invincibles Co-Chair
Steve Wright, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Workforce Development Programs
Larry Beer, United States Department of the Army
Tanya Rivera- Vigil, Fort Collins High School
- Youth Leaders
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Ashley A Settergren, League of Women Voters, Legacy Foundation, DECA
Brittany Stadler, CareerWise Colorado
Gabriella Carrethers, YAASPA
Michaela Lee, YAASPA
Sharai Conde
Aimee Resnick
Shriya Biddala
Olivia Ferzacca
Anushka Udeshi
Emily Grumann
Nick Huber
- State Agency Members
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Dan Kraus, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Pueblo JATC
Katie Oliver, Colorado Department of Education
Lauren Jones, Colorado Community College System
Lorin Wakefield, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment
Pearl Bell, Colorado Department of Human Services
Sam Fogleman, Colorado Department of Higher Education
Shanae Core, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Suzie Miller, Arapahoe/Douglas Works
- Partner Organizations
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Amber Palmeri, Mile High Youth Corps
Baird McKevitt, Xcel Energy, Center for Energy Workforce Development
Bob Gemignani, Pikes Peak Business & Education Alliance
Elizabeth Barber, Greeley Dream Team
Eric Dunker, Arapahoe Community College
Francis Vigil, Colorado Springs Electrical JATC
Karina Amaya, Weld County Department of Human Services
Lorena Zimmer, Denver Chamber of Commerce
Stephanie Murphy, Junior Achievement
Leila Benedyk, Boys and Girls Club of Colorado
Madeline Williams, United Way Denver
Glenn Hard, Careers in Construction
Gideon Geisel, George Washington High School
Youth Engagement
Do you have an organization, event, or promising practice that you would like highlighted? Use the form below and your submission may be included on the SYC website.
Meeting Dates & Materials
Materials for past and upcoming meetings can be accessed via the drop-down menus below.
Upcoming meeting dates:
- Archived Meeting Materials
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June. 10, 2021
The June SYC meeting centered around planning for the year ahead in order to support youth workforce development.
March. 4, 2021
- The March SYC meeting was facilitated by Project VOYCE, whose mission is to partner with a youth to cultivate transformational leadership that addresses the root causes of inequity in underrepresented communities. Project VOYCE facilitated a session that allowed for small group conversations, values sharing, and norm building to support the SYC in advancing towards its goals of better-utilizing youth voice and expertise in decision making and conversation.
Jan. 28, 2021
- At the January meeting, SYC members and interested parties discussed the Statewide Youth Career Fair and Symposium being held in April, including its impact on youth employment and career development and how you can get involved.
Dec. 3, 2020
Oct. 1, 2020
June 11, 2020
Feb. 13, 2020
Resources
- The Blue Bench Webinar - Trauma-informed Care in the Workplace. This session is designed to support employers in utilizing trauma-informed practices to better support young people entering the workforce. View Recording.
- Colorado Youth Talent Development
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A landscape analysis of youth talent development activities in Colorado is in the process of being developed.
- Career Navigator Toolkit
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The Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative (DOYI), in partnership with the CWDC, released a Career Navigator Toolkit. The toolkit is a collection of promising practices from career navigators in Colorado.
- Colorado Statewide Youth Development Plan
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The Colorado Department of Human Services maintains the Colorado Statewide Youth Development Plan, which presents a vision for a strong youth development network and strategies for improving an array of youth-focused policies, practices and programs. At the core of the vision and strategies is the incorporation of positive youth development principles into the services and programs for youth ages 9 to 25 in Colorado.
Learn more and access the Colorado Statewide Youth Development Plan
- Mental Health Resources
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This section includes resources from the SYC Mental Health Sub-group
- Mental Health Roundtable - View Recording
Get Involved
State Youth Council meetings are free and open to the public. All are welcome to participate in State Youth Council meetings and share their ideas on youth talent development in Colorado.
- Become a member
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The State Youth Council is currently recruiting new voting members. Please complete an application and we will follow up regarding your interest. State Youth Council Application
- Colorado Virtual Career Fair
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The State Youth Council and the Colorado Association for Career and Technical Education (CACTE), in partnership with education and industry partners from across the state, are hosting the inaugural Colorado Virtual Career Fair on April 19-22. Colorado youth, as well as their families and educators, are encouraged to intend this no-cost educational event. With equity as a guiding principle, and leveraging strong industry relationships, the career fair aims to connect youth as a statewide community in a time when connecting has been a challenge. Register and learn more at youthcareerfair.org.
Seeking Career Panelists:
Are you willing to share information about your job and industry to help students learn more about job possibilities and see themselves in future careers? The fair will feature career panels representing a wide variety of industries throughout Colorado, and we are currently searching for panelists representative of diverse groups of professionals across those careers. If you are interested in participating in a one-hour career panel or know of others who would be a good fit, please pass along this link or sign up by April 6: https://youthcareerfair.org/panelists