YCD Trainings and Education
Build the Skills. Lead the Change.
At YCD, we believe that any change is possible when young people have the right training, tools, and support.
Our trainings are designed to equip students with the confidence and practical skills they need to become effective leaders and create meaningful change in their schools and communities.
About YCD Trainings
Our signature Power Up! training is a full-day, in-person leadership experience that teaches students how to lead a YCD Chapter or any youth-led organization through facilitation, community organizing, team building, and leadership development.
Later in the year, Power Forward! helps students transform their ideas into action by guiding them through the process of designing and implementing a meaningful Action Project for their school or community.
YCD also brings our expertise directly to schools and organizations and conferences by offering customized workshops and trainings on leadership, facilitation, community organizing, and more than 75 topics related to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and access (JEDIBA).
"Too many people have fought for too many things for us to regress."
-
Cleo Parker Robinson
"Too many people have fought for too many things for us to regress." - Cleo Parker Robinson
YCD Power Up! Leadership Training
Held each October at the University of Denver, Power Up! equips students with the essential leadership skills needed to build and lead an effective chapter. Through interactive workshops, students learn how to facilitate meetings, organize a team, build inclusive communities, understand the foundations of community organizing, strengthen their leadership style, and much more. Power Up! provides the tools chapters need to begin the year with confidence and purpose.
Ready to Power Up?
YCD Power Forward! Action Training
After learning the fundamentals of leadership, chapters participate in Power Forward!, a full-day workshop focused on designing their chapter's Action Project. Students engage in hands-on sessions covering project planning, stakeholder management, asset mapping, goal setting, and implementation strategies. By the end of the day, every chapter leaves with a clear action plan and the resources needed to begin creating change in their community.
Ready to Power Forward?
Bring YCD to You
Bring Youth Celebrate Diversity directly to your school or organization! YCD offers engaging presentations, interactive workshops, and customized trainings designed to empower youth and adults to build stronger, more inclusive communities.
Choose from more than 75 topics, or work with us to create a customized professional development or student leadership experience that meets your goals.
Whether you need a one-hour workshop for your conference, a full-day leadership retreat, staff professional development, or a multi-session series, YCD will partner with you to create an engaging experience that equips participants with practical skills they can immediately put into action.
Popular sessions include:
Power Sharing with Youth - how to ensure everyone feels empowered in youth and adult spaces
Group/Meeting Facilitation - how to lead a meeting or gathering that meets your goals
Community Organizing - how to identify and recruit your power squad to create positive change in your community
Creating Communities of Belonging - how to help all members of your community feel seen, heard and valued
Icebreakerpalooza - how to choose the right group activity for any situation or stage of group development
Courageous/Crucial Conversations - how to engage in high stakes conversations when people’s opinions and beliefs differ from your own and emotions run strong
Just and Equitable Leadership - understand key terms within JEDIBA spaces (including the acronym JEDIBA) and practice being an upstander in difficult situations