Kool Keystone News

2008 Keystone National Conference is a Blast! 

The 2008 National Keystone Conference came and went and an "Ocean of Opportunities" is now a wave of "Wow!" for the great memories made for the nearly 1,500 Keystone members and advisors in Anaheim, Calif.,  March 27-29.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Taco Bell and the conference steering committee teens and advisors, the conference came off without a hitch. But where do you begin -- the free sneakers given away by Nike to all attendees? The thrilling day of rides and fun at the Disney theme parks? In fact, the 41st annual conference of Club leaders was all that and more!

  • Super Sessions for young men and women were infused with passion and commitment by current and former National Youths of the Year Demetrice Tuttle, Mieasha Hicks and Libby Franklin.
  • R&B sensation Sammie thrilled Keystoners in one Super Session, and another, held in conjunction with MTV, gave Keystoners voice about the portrayal of teens in the media. 
  • Career and College Experiences and workshops focused on inspiring Club programming were well-received.

And who can forget evening activities such as the Keystone Awards banquet and Red Carpet Celebration and dance that closed out the conference? Special thanks to Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove for being such wonderful hosts and sending Keystoners home with a lifetime of memories! 

Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson discusses Keystone and leadership.

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Character and Leadership

Leadership -- Keystone-Style

As one of the premier leadership and service programs in America, there was no shortage of opportunities for leadership experience at the 2008 National Keystone Conference.

  • College and Career Fair gave teens a chance to collect important information such as college admissions and how to get started in the career of your choice.
  • The half-day Career Experience allowed Keystoners to visit businesses such as Taco Bell corporate offices L.A. Angels of Anaheim, a video game production firm, AT&T and Disneyland.
  • About 100 teens took a day trip to Cal State-Fullerton to learn more about admissions, financial aid and college social and academic life.
  • Hundreds of Keystoners spent the day on a community service project making blankets (Binkys) that were donated to local charitable organizations.

Learning, earning and giving -- the 2008 National Keystone Conference had it all for leaders during a weekend of opportunities. 

Keystone National Project

The 2008 Keystone National Project

Last fall, BGCA's National Youth Committee developed the position paper, Young America Speaks: Who’s Listening? In it, the committee recommended increasing the promotion of post-high school options, better educational opportunities, and stronger adult/teen relationships. The committee also discussed how to improve adults' perceptions of teens.

In March 2007, Keystone presidents participated in a forum where they analyzed and assessed this position paper. After much deliberation, the group adopted Young America Acts: Can You See Us Now? -- a teen-led initiative to counter negative representations held about the nation’s youth -- as its 2007 National Keystone Project.

Young America Speaks: Making It Reality!

As a growth of this project, Club teens will get a chance to air what's on their mind in forums all over the nation. As part of National Boys & Girls Clubs Week, Clubs were encouraged to host Teen Town Hall forums. A national Teen Town Hall was held March 31 at the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood. Keystone members, actor Tyler James Williams ("Everybody Hates Chris") and noted experts heard what issues the teens feel need to be addressed.

Through the Teen Town halls, Club members will discuss:

  • Teen issues and how presidential candidates are responding
  • Crime, violence and gang problems in their communities
  • Obesity and other health concerns among their peers

Also, check myclubmylife.com's YouTube page for clips of the event!