Young people today are busier and more involved than ever in their schools and communities despite numerous institutional barriers. Youth are leading the way in influencing the culture of our communities and promoting inclusion, while old and new policies and laws that reinforce or perpetuate discrimination continue to govern our lives. If our political leaders are making decisions about the direction of our communities, they need to hear from the young people who make up those communities.
To address this need, ANYTOWN® Fall Youth Leadership Academy was started in 2016. The inaugural cohort prepared and presented proposals for change to decision makers in the Tampa Bay area at the Advocacy in Action Summit. The next year, we changed the name to ANYTOWN® Advocacy Academy and cohorts began traveling to the Florida Capitol to advocacte for change with our state legislators.