Keystone Conference Goes Virtual!
Keystone Conference Goes Virtual
On July 24, 2020, Boys & Girls Clubs of America hosted the first ever virtual National Keystone Conference. The them was “We the Youth Declare We Will Be Heard, Seen and United.”
Let’s back up a bit, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Keystone. Keystone Club is The Boys & Girls Club Movement’s ultimate teen program.
“Keystone Club provides leadership development opportunities for our club teens. Youth participate in activities in three focus areas: academic success, career preparation, and community service. With the guidance of our adult advisors, the Keystone Club aims to display a positive impact on members, the Club, and the community. Teens that are 14-18 are allowed to be a part of Keystone,” says Raymond Copeland, Teen Services Director. We currently have Keystone Club members from Truitt, Rosemont, Eastern Shore, Portsmouth,and Suffolk.
Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America hosts an annual National Keystone Conference for Keystone Club members across the nation. Keystone members raise funds throughout the year to pay for the trip. At the conference, Keystone members engage and socialize with peers, explore relevant issues, and develop skills to support and enhance efforts in their local Boys & Girls Clubs and communities. The conference is always held in a different and exciting location, such as Orlando, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The 2020 conference was supposed to be held in Washington DC.
Due to the pandemic, BGCA had to make some quick decisions and adjustments to keep our teens and staff healthy and safe. Like many organizations, they decided to have a virtual Keystone Conference.
This was going to be challenging. Would the teens get as much out of a virtual conference as an in-person conference? Raymond explains, “Previous years our teens, were able to travel to other states to attend the conference. In the past, our teens were able to meet teens from other Clubs, states, and countries. During the in-person conference, our teens are able to get instant feedback from their peers and others.“
Even though that face-to-face interaction wasn’t there, the virtual conference still had awards ceremonies to recognize teens who excelled in academics, career preparation, community service, and outreach. They not only had guest speakers, such as actor and model Damaris Lewis, but they had breakout room sessions where teens could learn and discuss together the issues most important to them.
But what did our BGCSEVA teens think?
Some other responses we received were:
What was your favorite part?
· My’Raah & Iyana: When two girls performed a dance!
· Dae’Quan: When Damaris Lewis spoke. Her energy was amazing and enlightening!
What did you learn?
· Tracy, Jalen, Nickolas, & My’Raah: 70% of our immune system is in our gut.
· Darius: There is always a way to make something happen.
· DaeQuan: Be the change and continue to change. When getting uncomfortable, worked up, or emotionally unstable, breathing should be one of the first steps you take.
Overwhelming, our teens enjoyed the conference, but the ones who had been to in-person conferences missed that experience and feel that they learned more in-person. Hopefully, that will happen next year!
Here are some pictures from the virtual viewing party at Rosemont for this year’s conference and some pictures from in-person conferences past.