Saturday’s free Youth Empowerment Summit arrives with a sense of urgency
Updated Feb 22, 2021;
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. On Saturday, February 27th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Canvas Institute will host Island Voice’s 15th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit.
“The Youth Summit is the only free event of its kind in Staten Island that brings our youth together to amplify their voice and awaken the power that they have to change their community and world,” according to the Canvas Institute.
Founder of the Canvas Institute, Bobby Digi, describes the summit as arriving with a sense of particular urgency this year. He referenced 16-year-old Jasier Kelly of Stapleton who committed suicide earlier this month as an example of the concerning mental health challenges that youth are experiencing during the pandemic. According to Kelly’s family, the social isolation that came with remote learning and spending a majority of time inside due to COVID-19 took an extreme toll on