JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
More than 23 teens represented JBSA at the 2017 National Keystone Conference March 2-4 at Chicago, Ill.
The event was a Boys and Girls Club of America character and leadership program. Approximately 2,500 Keystoners and advisors from across the United States and from military installations overseas attended the 50th annual conference.
“It was an opportunity to unite thousands of Keystoners, like ourselves (BGCA members), together to engage in collaborative efforts to push forward movements within the club,” said David Zulli, son of Air Force Chaplain Lt. Col. Daniel Zulli. “It was an overall empowering experience, helping us make a positive influence in our community.”
The goal was to develop and enhance leadership skills, enabling the participants to be leaders and ambassadors in their clubs and communities in four concentrated areas: academic success, career exploration, community service projects and teen outreach.
The conference reinforced the virtues that define leadership, and provided a platform for teens to engage in thought-provoking sessions and interactive specialized activities, according to the conference’s pamphlet.
Activities included fitness competitions; college, career and workforce development expo; Keystone Ninja Warriors Obstacle Course; Eyebrows on the Fleek; CPR certification class; and Keystone national project seminar: dialogue with the law enforcement. There were classes on bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure, sexual health, mental health, time management, gun violence and much more.
“It was valuable information you don’t get in a typical school setting,” said Jared Moore, 502nd Force Support Squadron Youth Center teen director, who was a guidance counselor for the trip. “It was preparing them for adulthood while (helping them) make their community stronger.”
There were guess speakers who covered topics pertaining to national social issues, to include LGBT and Black Lives Matter, along with topics like overcoming stereotyping and loving oneself.
“It made me more aware of what is going on around me,” said Madyson Newberry, daughter of Air Force Tech Sgt. Daxton Newberry. “I have a broader idea of the problems in our communities and how we can deal with them.”
Moore believes the conference did more than just bring awareness to the happenings within their community, but also it “empowered them; a lot of time, teens feel like they don’t have a voice.”
Tyler Davis, daughter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Kimberly McGuire, believes this is due to just general fear and “the conference dispelled some of that fear. I think a lot of people left with more confidence in themselves.”
“It is very difficult to feel confident and is very hard to put yourself out there,” Zulli said in regards to taking a stand for social justice and being an activist. “But I left feeling a lot more empowered and strengthened in my own opinions. I'm definitely feeling a lot more confident.”
“It made activism a lot more approachable and a lot more real because a lot of the speakers they had were not very different from us or had started doing things at similar ages as us,” Zulli continued. “It showed that age shouldn’t be a factor in how you use your voice to bring about positive change, which I think is very important. I feel like if we are formed and molded to be a type of person who is vocal about injustice, we will carry that on into adulthood, which you can’t teach at school and that’s why I think the conference – and this program (Boys and Girls Club) as a whole – is beneficial for all of us.”
Along with inspiring confidence and awareness, the conference motivated them to take action.
“This particular conference was inspiring,” Moore said. “When they came back, they wanted to start working on some of the things they learned at the sessions they went. It inspired them to take action and be creative.”
The teens all agreed, adding they enjoyed the event and found it quite the learning experience.
“I feel that I've learned a lot and there's so much I am ready to do and implement in my community,” Newberry said. “Overall, it was a good experience and it made us all closer as a club.”