2025 Experiences
Entrepreneur Cluster
The Entrepreneur cluster is meant to attract students who are interested in starting their own business and building confidence in being self-employed.
Big Dreams: Entrepreneurship Panel
Ever dreamed of being your own boss? In this high-energy panel, youth will meet seasoned entrepreneurs who turned their ideas into real businesses! These business leaders will share their journeys—the wins, the struggles, and the secrets to success. Get the inside scoop on how to start with what you have, build your brand, and turn your passion into profit. Whether you’re ready to launch or just curious, this session will leave you fired up and ready to make your own boss moves!
Visionary in Action
Scholars will explore what it means to be a visionary, identify their own unique visions for the future, and develop actionable steps to use their vision to create positive change in their communities. Scholars will learn how to create and pursue a personal vision for change, recognizing their values, strengths, and personal power. They will gain practical skills to turn their vision into actionable goals, while using creativity to inspire others. Ultimately, they will understand that being a visionary involves both passion and leadership to drive positive change.
Start that Business NOW
Start that Business NOW is designed to empower youth with the essential skills and knowledge to launch their own businesses. By the end of the workshop, young entrepreneurs will have a clear roadmap and the confidence to take the first steps toward their entrepreneurial journey.
Your Money, Your Future
Critical Thinking and Creativity Cluster
The Critical Thinking & Creativity cluster caters to students looking for ways to express themselves creatively and further expand their big dreams and bright ideas.
Power & Impact: Youth Power Building
This interactive workshop empowers teens to build their influence and create real change in their communities. Through a hands-on power mapping exercise, participants will think critically, solve problems, and brainstorm solutions to challenges they care about. Working alongside peers, they’ll map out how young people can take strategic steps to drive impact, break down barriers, and collaborate with community partners. This 90-minute session includes breakout discussions and activities focused on youth-led solutions, ensuring every participant leaves with actionable ideas to make a difference.
Mental Health and You: How to Take Charge of Your Future
Looking for an engaging and relatable session for high schoolers, taught by high schoolers? Join Mental Health and You for an interactive and fun-filled session focused on mental health! Wealth cover everything you need to know, from building positive relationships and managing academic stress to recognizing and coping with mental health challenges. Through activities, personal stories, and actionable tips, we hope to empower students with the tools they need to prioritize their emotional well-being and thrive in their everyday lives.
Soy como la mariposa monarca: From cultural roots’ youth to community change agents in RVA
The sessions will be conducted in Spanish with interpreters for English-speaking students. They will begin with a 5-minute video introducing past workshops to create a safe space. Next, a 20-minute culturally connected, trauma-informed activity will explore immigration journeys (using monarch butterflies) and diverse role models. A 10-minute PowerPoint will follow on youth identity and community change in RVA.
The Culture Debates
In this session, students will participate in an engaging debate to explore their perspectives on social media, music, movies, gaming and how it is affecting their culture and society. There will be a focus on entertainment and impact and students will have the opportunity to learn about the different ways others view life through their eyes.
The ThinkFast Interactive Games
Join us for ThinkFast Interactive, an engaging and innovative game-based experience! Using cutting-edge technology, this session will take participants on a fast-paced journey, encouraging them to think critically about social and cultural challenges in a fun, competitive way. Students will dive into real-world scenarios, answer thought-provoking questions, and collaborate with peers to solve problems. Prepare for a high-energy experience where every decision you make counts in the race to better understand and connect with your peers. Come game with us!
Life Cluster
The Life cluster helps students understand the nuance of what it takes to be a productive adult, how the world is currently changing around them and what they can do to make the most of it.
Money Moves; Shaping tomorrow’s economy
In this dynamic and interactive session, you will dive into the concept of economic mobility. You will explore how access to education, jobs, housing and local resources that can shape your future opportunities. Through a group activity, you will uncover the barriers and challenges that can impact your journey to achieving financial growth and how to create solutions and keep moving forward!
Surviving the Social Jungle
Join us on a “Social Safari” an adventure where you’ll learn how to navigate the jungle of social interactions with ease! In this workshop, we’ll explore the “wild” world of friendships, confidence, and communication skills. Using animals as our guides, we’ll learn how different species thrive through their cultural differences, problem-solving, and teamwork.
College and Scholarship Workshop
This session will teach students how to search for and apply to scholarships. They will understand the different types of scholarships, how to create a competitive profile for both college and scholarship applications, what are full needs colleges, and how to self-advocate for themselves throughout the process.
Teen Summit RVA Community Youth Think Tank
Join the Community Youth Think Tank at Teen Summit RVA! This is your chance to speak up about school, mental health, community issues, and more. A research team from VCU’s Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation (ICRE) will listen to and summarize participating students’ ideas and share them with youth leaders and program providers to help shape their work over the next year. Make your voice heard to have a positive impact on your community!
Career Exploration Cluster
The Career Exploration cluster gives students the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiences that explores the different professions within a career field.
Art and Impact
Unleash your inner artist with a diverse workshop that allows you to explore different art mediums in one space. Whether you are interested in photography, painting/murals, or illustration, this session will give artistic direction to seasoned artists or those just starting out. Guided by professional artists, you’ll experiment with different techniques and materials and discuss the different career paths in this field.
Agriculture & Innovation
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and Virginia State University dive into the world of agriculture with an interactive session designed to connect students with the basics of farming and modern agricultural practices. In this workshop, you will learn about plant life, sustainable agriculture and the different careers you can pursue in the field. Perfect for those looking to explore innovation and nature!
The Business of Beauty
Step into the world of beauty and get hands-on experience in the exciting field of cosmetology! In this interactive session, you’ll explore hairstyling, makeup artistry, and skincare techniques with industry pros. Whether you’re curious about salon work, launching your own brand, or becoming a beauty influencer, this is your chance to learn, create, and get inspired. Come ready to explore, ask questions, and unleash your creativity!
The Public Safety Sector
Explore the public safety sector with a hands-on session that gives you the chance to experience what it takes to keep communities safe. EMS, Police, Firefighters and Sherriff’s will all be available to discuss their roles, explain critical lifesaving skills needed to do their jobs, and give students an opportunity to try on gear and use equipment!
The Culinary Experience
Join us for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Greater Richmond Convention Center’s Commercial Kitchen! This is the ultimate opportunity for aspiring chefs to explore a state-of-the-art culinary space. During this experience, you will get a chance to get a close look at high-tech equipment, an innovative kitchen design and the tools the professionals use to create incredible dishes. Start your culinary journey here!
“BRAND YOU” Inspire Youth @ Work Job Fair
“BRAND YOU” is a powerful concept for a youth job fair, inspiring young individuals to see themselves as unique assets in the job market. It encourages them to understand that their personal strengths, experiences, and passions define their professional value. At the job fair, they can learn how to showcase their individuality—whether through, interviews, or networking—by highlighting what sets them apart from others.
Key areas of interest include real estate, content creation, the music industry, technology, podcasting, passive income, influencer roles, and entrepreneurship. While these pursuits offer exciting opportunities, they also highlight the importance of essential soft skills for career readiness.
To thrive in these fields, young people need to develop skills in personal branding, professionalism, conflict resolution, budgeting, effective communication (including email etiquette and interviewing), and resume building. By focusing on these areas, we can help them create portfolios that not only showcase their individuality but also prepare them for the workforce, empowering them to navigate their non-traditional career paths successfully.
Activities
“BRAND YOU” Board
Vision Board Activity
At the “BRAND YOU” Board Station, youth will build a personal vision board that reflects their career and life aspirations. As they visit each vendor table, they’ll collect cutouts, quotes, or tangible items representing different industries, career tips, or personal development insights. This interactive experience encourages exploration, helps them visualize their goals, and keeps them engaged with all the vendors. Once they’ve visited all tables, they’ll put their boards together at a designated station.
AI Career Photos
“See Your Future” Photobooth
This will kick off the IY@W Fair – an AI-powered career photobooth. Youth will choose a profession—doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, artist, or any career they aspire to—and have their photo digitally transformed into that role. If they want to explore multiple career paths, they can take additional photos and receive them via email or text. This fun and futuristic experience allows them to see themselves in their dream job.
Affirmation Bar & Vision Board Station
“Believe in YOU”
Confidence is key in career success, and this station helps youth build self-belief through positive affirmations. They’ll explore the power of words and mindset by selecting or creating affirmations that resonate with their goals and self-image. A brief guided discussion will highlight how self-confidence and positive thinking impact personal branding and workplace success. Afterward, they’ll add affirmations to their vision boards.
The Podcast Station
“Your Voice, Your Future”
At the Podcast Station, youth will step into the role of thought leaders by answering thought-provoking questions on community safety, internal and external branding, and career readiness.
Their answers will be recorded giving them a platform to express their ideas and build confidence in their beliefs.
Social to Success
LinkedIn Activity
This interactive LinkedIn station teaches youth the importance of maintaining a strong and professional online presence. They’ll receive a demo LinkedIn profile on paper, filled with tips on how to craft an appropriate profile not just on a professional networking site such as LinkedIn, but also emphasizing mindfulness on all social platforms.
AI Unfiltered: What You Need to Know
AI is everywhere—changing how we work, create, and connect. But how do you know when to trust it? How is it shaping the future of jobs and the world around you? At the AI Unfiltered experience, get hands-on with real AI tools, test your ability to spot AI-generated content, and explore the ethics of using AI in school, work, and life. Our team of industry pros from AI Ready RVA will break it down—answering your questions about AI’s impact on careers, social media, and the future—while showing you how to make AI work for you (not against you).
360 Photobooth
Step into the spotlight and capture the moment in a dynamic, full-circle video at our 360 Photo Booth! This interactive experience lets you strike a pose as the camera rotates around you, creating a fun, shareable video that highlights your energy and style. Whether you’re celebrating new connections, showcasing your confidence, or just having fun, this booth is the perfect way to make memories at Teen Summit RVA. Don’t miss your chance to shine—jump in, spin, and create your own epic 360° moment!
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