Who We Are
The Colorado Youth Congress is an out-of-school leadership program made up of a diverse community of 50 young people from across the state.
At CYC, we focus on wellness, learning, and leadership as means to create justice and well-being across Colorado. Our members work with partner organizations to influence decision-making on issues related to young people. Knowing there are hundreds of thousands of capable young leaders across the state, we also run the Youth Leadership Network to ensure that all youth have access to authentic leadership opportunities.
Our Vision
Within our lifetime, the collective voice of young people will be central to the social and political leadership of Colorado.
Our Mission
CYC is a statewide community that cultivates the healing and leadership of young people to guide us all into a future grounded in justice and wellbeing.
Theory of Change
Our theory of change is based on the concept of fractals: we look out to the future to decide what world we want to live in, and then we practice that from the inside out.
We trust that the work we do individually and within our community will naturally translate to broader cultural and systemic change. In the words of the late community organizing icon Grace Lee Boggs, “to transform the world, we must first transform ourselves.” By holistically nurturing young people — their wellness and innate capacity to learn, we will activate their potential for leadership. And when young people lead from a place of well-being, adults start to listen and respond. Systems start to shift.
As we seek to nurture the well-being of the 50+ youth in our program, we will also look outward and do our part to make sure that the ecosystem of youth leadership is thriving. We operate the CYC Youth Leadership Network, a statewide communication network where adults and youth can connect to share leadership opportunities. This all is in service of our ultimate vision of making sure youth voices are the center of the social and political leadership of Colorado.
What to learn more about CYC?
Get our full Strategic Plan
