Youth Leadership Council Kicks Off

The Kensington Soccer Club Youth Leadership Council./Photo by Alberto Huichapa

The Youth Leadership Council at Kensington Soccer Club had its first meeting today, bringing in youth leaders from the community to discuss ways they could help their neighborhoods.

The program, led by Assistant Program Coordinator Marcelo Osorio-Soto, presents youth leaders between the ages of 13-21 with an opportunity to participate in leadership-building workshops and lead community engagement efforts that’ll help steer the club’s future direction.

“I feel as though I can play a strong leadership role in my community,” KSC Teen Coach Micah Deane said. “Being a leader is about being your true self and living by honesty, integrity, generosity, and most importantly kindness — things I live by daily.”

Some ideas that were discussed included hosting neighborhood farmer’s markets, providing children with more access to creative outlets, bringing in local leaders to speak, neighborhood trash clean-ups and providing information about job and education opportunities.

Each of the youth leaders was assigned a sector to focus on, to ensure that they have equal opportunity to lead a community effort and gain beneficial leadership skills.

When Youth Leader Joshua Rodriguez was asked about what he hopes to see the Youth Leadership Council become, he answered it simply.

“To be and do positive things in the community,” Rodriguez said.