Salesian Family Youth Center – Second Annual Youth Conference Report
Por JC Montenegro, PhD
(Los Angeles, California) – On June 6, 2026, the Salesian Family Youth Center hosted its second Youth Conference, gathering more than 100 teenagers for a full day of reflection, dialogue, and shared learning. The day focused on four major areas that young people identified as deeply connected to their daily lives and futures: Human Mobility, Youth Employability, Childhood Vulnerability, and Youth Violence & Substance Use.
The Youth Voices Conference 2026 began with a keynote panel of four speakers who set a tone of honesty, vulnerability, and openness that shaped the rest of the day:
- Miriam Rodriguez – Executive Director, Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Lopez – Principal, Bravo Medical Magnet High School
- Christina Navarro – Executive Director, Healing Urban Barrios
- Dulce Acosta – Senior Principal Director, Relations Department, USC
Each speaker shared personal and professional experiences that highlighted struggle, resilience, leadership, and the importance of community support systems. Their willingness to speak openly about challenges and responsibility created a space where young people felt encouraged to reflect more deeply and speak with greater honesty throughout the conference.
What followed was a series of structured youth reflection sessions. Below is a summary of what young people shared in each thematic area.
Human Mobility
In this session, young people reflected on what it means to move between countries, schools, neighborhoods, and cultures, and how those transitions shape identity, belonging, and opportunity.
What young people shared
Participants described how mobility is often accompanied by emotional and social challenges that are not always visible. Many expressed that arriving in a new environment can create immediate feelings of isolation and uncertainty.
Key reflections included:
- Feeling invisible or disconnected when entering new schools or communities
- Difficulty forming friendships due to language barriers or cultural differences
- Fear of being judged based on background, accent, or immigration status
- Lack of understanding of available resources and systems
- Emotional stress connected to adapting quickly in unfamiliar environments
Young people emphasized that belonging is not automatic and often depends on how others respond to them during these transition moments.
What they asked for
- More welcoming school and community environments
- Stronger support systems for newcomers
- Spaces where cultural identity is respected rather than minimized
- Opportunities to build relationships early in the transition process
- Adults and peers who listen without assumptions
A consistent message emerged: young people want to be recognized first as individuals, not defined by where they come from.
Youth Employability
This session focused on education, career readiness, and access to opportunity.
What young people shared
Participants expressed strong motivation to succeed but identified structural barriers that limit access to career pathways. Many described a gap between academic learning and real-world preparation.
Key reflections included:
- Limited access to internships and professional exposure
- Lack of financial literacy and practical life skills in schools
- Difficulty understanding how to navigate career systems and opportunities
- Limited mentorship and professional guidance
- Pressure on families that affects educational focus and stability
Young people consistently noted that talent and effort are not always matched with opportunity.
What they asked for
- Career readiness programs integrated into school systems
- More mentorship opportunities with professionals
- Access to internships and hands-on learning experiences
- Financial literacy education begins early in high school
- Stronger partnerships between schools and community organizations
A central message was clear: access should not depend on personal networks but on equitable opportunities.
Childhood Vulnerability
This session explored emotional development, support systems, and the experiences that shape youth during their formative years.
What young people shared
Participants reflected on moments in childhood when they felt unsupported, unheard, or overlooked. Many identified these experiences as shaping confidence, emotional well-being, and future decision-making.
Key reflections included:
- Lack of consistent emotional support from adults
- Feeling compared to others rather than being understood as individuals
- Academic struggles without adequate guidance or intervention
- Difficulty adjusting to new environments, especially after migration or family changes
- The emotional impact of not being listened to or taken seriously
Young people emphasized that vulnerability is often silent but long-lasting.
What they asked for
- Safe and consistent spaces for emotional expression
- Stronger mentorship and adult presence in schools and communities
- Greater attention to mental health and emotional well-being
- Encouragement that builds confidence rather than comparison
- Stronger connections among families, schools, and youth programs
The core message shared was simple: being heard changes everything.
Youth Violence & Substance Use
This session addressed community safety, emotional health, and social influences.
What young people shared
Participants spoke about violence and substance use as issues deeply connected to emotional stress, environment, and coping mechanisms. Many emphasized that these challenges are not isolated behaviors but responses to broader conditions.
Key reflections included:
- Exposure to violence in community or media environments
- Substance use is being normalized through peer groups and social media
- Peer pressure influencing decision-making
- Trauma and unresolved emotional experiences
- Lack of safe spaces to process stress and emotions
Young people also highlighted concerns about digital environments shaping behaviors and increasing exposure to risky situations.
What they asked for
- More open conversations about mental health and emotional challenges
- Safe spaces for dialogue before crises develop
- Increased access to counseling and support services
- Positive community-based activities and programs
- Stronger prevention education around substance use and violence
A key insight was that silence increases risk, while communication builds protection.
Cross-Cutting Messages
Across all four sessions, several consistent themes emerged:
- Belonging is essential for emotional and social stability
- Respect and listening are foundational to trust
- Opportunity must be accessible and equitable
- Mental health and emotional well-being are central, not secondary
- Community support systems matter in shaping outcomes
Emerging but Unfinished Reflection: Safety, Intimacy, and Emotional Coping
During the Childhood Vulnerability discussion, an additional theme emerged that was not fully explored but surfaced as an important concern. One young person raised the topic of how intimacy and sexual behavior can sometimes become ways of coping with anxiety, stress, and depression, particularly in the context of easy access to dating apps and digital platforms.
This reflection opened a broader and more complex question about how emotional needs, loneliness, and mental health challenges are being processed by some young people in ways that may place them in vulnerable situations.
In the same conversation, concerns were also raised about safety risks connected to social interactions in digital and social environments, including reported cases in which young people have been harmed or taken advantage of through substances such as scopolamine.
These reflections were not developed in depth during the session, but they surfaced as a signal that this is an area requiring further attention, deeper dialogue, and safe spaces where young people can speak openly, ask questions, and receive accurate guidance.
Closing Reflection
The second Youth Conference at the Salesian Family Youth Center reaffirmed the importance of creating spaces where young people can speak openly about their experiences and be taken seriously.
Their reflections were direct, thoughtful, and deeply connected to the realities they live every day. Across all themes, young people consistently asked for the same foundation: to be seen, to be heard, and to be given real opportunities to grow and succeed.
This report presents their voices.
Nothing has been added. Nothing has been removed.
It is simply a reflection of what they shared.
