Global Youth Collaborative: Session One

By Izzy Indegno

I woke up on Saturday feeling nervous and excited. In a few hours I was going to be in the first session of the Global Youth Collaborative. So with my nerves at an all-time high, I got ready and headed over to UC San Diego Park & Market. I found the classroom the session would take place in right after my mom made me take about one million pictures. The second I stepped into the room I was immediately impressed. I noticed that there were folders with name tags attached that let us know where everyone was sitting. Other students had already gotten there and were playing card games.

After everyone had arrived, we were visited by San Diego Public Library Director, Misty Jones. She taught us about leadership and how a great leader has the ability to adapt to change. She also encouraged us to engage with our peers and meet new people. We were given topics to talk about such as our favorite kinds of music or school subjects. This activity led me to meeting a couple new friends who I worked with for the activities that followed. An activity that I enjoyed was all about discovering what our interests were. We started this by finishing the sentences that were on the board with something that pertained to us. These sentences regarded our interests, past goals, skills, and what brings us joy. We then narrowed down our lists so we could recognize our top interests and hone our skills. Overall, I learned a lot from Ms. Jones and if there is one thing that she would want everyone to know, it is that everyone in the world should become a librarian.

After lunch, we were visited by Outside the Lens Media Educators, Lanae King and Anna Loretan to learn about digital media and storytelling. We learned all about how a simple image can have such a great impact on the world, and how the setting, subject, and angle of a photo can drastically affect its message. We were challenged to tell a story of our own through nothing but an image or a series of images. My new friends and I wandered the building finding new, incredible backgrounds for our photos. After many pictures and many laughs, our time as photographers had come to an end. Everyone headed back inside to write their artist statements and reflect on their images.

I hope to continue to grow as a leader and continue to collaborate with the adults and students of this organization and learn skills that will allow me to make a difference in my community. I want to be an effective leader who establishes and inspires long lasting change. I want to learn how to contribute to the conversation and speak up for people that do not have a voice. I know that this program can help me expand my knowledge on important topics so I can have a better understanding of what others are going through. I look forward to the next session with this remarkable group of people.

By Izzy Indegno

Featured Image captured by Allegra Martin