Country Day Students ELEVATE

As participants in Breakthrough Sacramento's Substance Abuse Awareness and Policy Internship, Imani Cochran ‘24 and Jackie Washington ‘25 applied for and were chosen as speakers/presenters for the statewide Elevate Youth California (EYC) convening at the SAFE CU Convention Center. The conference was attended by more than 900 California teens and youth leaders. Imani and Jackie prepared and presented a one-hour interactive seminar titled Social Justice Transformative Impact through Design Thinking, and their session was packed with more than 90 participants. 

Elevate Youth California is a statewide program addressing substance abuse by investing in youth leadership and civic engagement for California students ages 12 to 26. EYC partners, including Breakthrough Sacramento, work together to enhance knowledge, skills, and collective policy awareness through interactive sessions, dynamic speakers, and direct engagement with political dignitaries. Jackie and Imani created an educational experience that was lauded as the “most enjoyable and interactive session of the day” by program participants and organizers. “It’s hard enough to speak to a room full of strangers, but to do so while also leading participants to interact, brainstorm, and present their ideas, is a whole new level of difficulty,” according to Breakthrough Program Manager Faith Galati. After running their seminar, Imani and Jackie, enjoyed the two-day convention, experiencing solidarity, empowerment, leadership, and community unity.