(Black PR Wire) MIAMI  – The 6th Annual South Florida Youth Summit (SFYS), presented by L.E.A.D Nation in partnership with the Knight Foundation, will take place October 18-20 under the theme “Youth and Justice” Grammy award-winning music producer, recording artist, philanthropist, speaker, actor and activist David Banner will serve as the keynote speaker for the adult only kick-off event, Cocktails & Conversations. He will be joined by Jasmen Rogers-Shaw, Political Strategist, and Emmy award-winning journalist, NBC 6 anchor and host of Black Voices Jawan Strader will serve as the night’s host.
 
The Summit is the brainchild of State Representative and L.E.A.D. Nation co-founder Shevrin Jones which is designed to provide knowledge-based enrichment activities in an interactive setting to empower youth to live up to their full potential. 
 
“This year people can expect us to go a step further in engaging young people in a movement, but this is a different type of movement. What we see in the political realm, in our communities and what’s happening on a national scale, we want to make sure we give young people the tools and knowledge they need to not only be advocates, but also key players in creating change within their communities,” Jones said.
 
As mentioned, the weekend will begin with Cocktails & Conversations featuring Banner and Rogers-Shaw on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Miramar Multi-Service Complex, 6700 Miramar Pkwy in Miramar. During the evening, community leaders, educators, civic leaders and parents will unite for an interactive discussion on empowering youth to be change agents in the community.   The weekend will continue with the Leaders In Training (LIT) Youth Rally on Oct. 19th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Broward College’s South Campus, 7200 Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines. . In addition to the L.E.A.D Nation and the Knight Foundation, the rally is also presented in partnership with the City of Miramar.  Its goal is to groom high school students in the region to be effective advocates for issues they believe in.
 
The finale will be the actual Youth Summit from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Miami-Dade College North Campus, 11380 NW 27 Ave. in Miami. Students will enjoy a full day of seminars, workshops, and panel discussions as well as have the opportunity to become active participants in creating positive and innovative social change in their communities.
 
Produced by a collaborative group of concerned community leaders and organizations, the Summit aims to create solutions that directly address South Florida’s epidemic of youth violence, lagging graduation rates, increased childhood obesity, and STEM education. This merging of ideas, resources and industries based on the principle of collaboration is a ground-breaking initiative that Jones said is at the core of why L.E.A.D Nation was founded. 
 
“I knew L.E.A.D Nation was needed because I felt there was a gap in our communities with nonprofits that serve youth and parents. We understood that parents play a key role in their children’s lives and you can’t empower the child and not empower the parents because the child has to go back home. We wanted to make sure that we send them back home into an empowered household,” Jones said. -MORE-

 The Summit targets students in grades 6-12 and provides experiential learning in 6 focus areas:  STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)  Leadership Development  Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship  Financial Education  Youth Violence Prevention  Childhood Obesity
 
The Summit is proudly being brought to you by sponsors LEAD Nation, Knight Foundation, City of Miramar, Broward College, Miami-Dade College, Uber, Sunshine Health, Florida Virtual Schools and Trilogy Education Services.
 
Partners include: Change Makers Academy, Urban League of Broward County Young Professional Network, Pampered Roots, Broward Young Black Progressives, Avanse Ansanm, Own Your Thrown, How We See It, State Representative Shevrin Jones and Notion Motion.
 
For more information about the summit and LEAD Nation, visit www.leadnation.org.
 
 
ABOUT L.E.A.D Nation: Leaders by Empowerment, Activists by Development (L.E.A.D. Nation) is a community-based nonprofit organization developed to inspire youth to become leaders in their community by providing the necessary training needed for success.  The organization focuses on education, mentoring, service, character and public speaking for middle and high school students, as well as provides a platform for parent engagement and learning.  L.E.A.D. Nation was founded in 2006 by State Representative Shevrin Jones, Leo Stoney and Donald Garner and continues to be a leading organization in hosting events and providing opportunities that inspire youth.