The Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute (CRG) will host the first-ever Rising Generations Summit (RGS), a powerful youth-led gathering bringing together more than 100 youth delegates (ages 14-18) from across the United States to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 7.
This one-day event will center youth voice, leadership, and community engagement. Youth delegates will explore pressing community challenges, develop action-driven project ideas, and engage in knowledge-building and skill-building sessions, vision board workshops, and thoughtful community conversations.
The Rising Generations Summit is a launchpad for a new wave of community leaders. In a moment where young people are defining solutions to today’s biggest challenges, this Summit offers a front-row seat to the future of policy, innovation, and youth-led solutions.
The Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute is a new, bold initiative dedicated to uplifting and investing in young leaders, visionaries, and changemakers. Elevating youth and young adult leadership is a key pillar of the Aspen Institute’s strategic plan, and the Rising Generations Summit will ignite the leadership potential of young people around the country.
Media are invited to attend the full day or cover select sessions, speak with youth delegates, RGS Ambassadors, and CRG leadership, while capturing the energy of the next generation in motion. The RGS youth delegate agenda and adult chaperone agenda can be found below.
Event Details
- Name: Rising Generations Summit (RGS)
- Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Time: 8:00am registration, 9:00am opening session, 6:30pm closing
- Location: Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
- Hosted by: The Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations (CRG)
- Attendees: 100+ youth delegates, parents/adult chaperones (for participants under 18), RGS Ambassadors acting as near-peer mentors, thought leaders, educators, and CRG program partners.
- Title Sponsor: Pinterest, leading visual discovery engine for finding ideas and inspiration.
Who Is Attending
- 100+ youth delegates (ages 14-18), selected through a competitive national application process and represent a broad diversity of regions, racial and ethnic backgrounds, lived experiences, and leadership stories.
- Many youth delegates are first-time travelers to Washington, D.C., and have been leading in different capacities in their schools and communities.
- More than 50 young adult RGS Ambassadors will act as near-peer mentors for youth delegates.
- CRG leadership including Kaya Henderson, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Rising Generations.
- Aspen Institute leadership including Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute.
- Notable workshop facilitators include title sponsor, Pinterest, PBS Student Reporting Labs, Big Picture Learning, Young People’s Alliance, Bridge USA, UnidosUS, Kentucky Student Voice Team, and more.
Programming Highlight
- Youth-led skill-building breakouts on public speaking, digital storytelling for impact, community organizing, design thinking, and respectful dialogue in a divided world.
- ‘Picturing Impact’ vision board workshop, an inspiration and knowledge-building session with title sponsor, Pinterest.
- Live peer sharing and ambassador feedback session.
- Intergenerational dialogue and cross-sector conversations.
- Interviews with youth leaders and mentors driving change in their communities.
Available for Media Interviews (upon request)
- Youth Delegates
- RGS Ambassadors
- Kaya Henderson, Executive Vice President and Executive Director, Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute
- Title Sponsor, Pinterest
- Workshop and Session Facilitators
To RSVP or Request Interviews
Please contact Jon Purves ([email protected]) and Maura Daley ([email protected]). Press credentials and a media schedule will be provided upon confirmation.
Learn More About The Center for Rising Generations
- Website: www.risinggenerations.org
- LinkedIn: Center for Rising Generations
- Instagram: @AspenRisingGen
- X: @AspenRisingGen
- Facebook: @AspenRisingGen
- Hashtags: #RisingGenerationsSummit #AspenRisingGen #RisingTogether
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The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org. The Center for Rising Generations (CRG) at the Aspen Institute is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders through civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development. CRG provides opportunities for young leaders to connect, collaborate, and drive meaningful change at the local, national, and global levels. For more information, visitwww.risinggenerations.org. RGS Youth Delegate Agenda8:00am Registration and BreakfastAttendees will enjoy breakfast at assigned tables, where participants and ambassadors will meet in-person for the first time.9:00am Welcome Plenary hosted by Big Picture Learning Big Picture will lead an interactive experience challenging participants to reflect on their leadership journeys.10:45am Breakout Rooms Session One: Inspiration and Knowledge BuildingAll participants will attend a vision boarding session and then choose a second session from changemakers’ panels or dialogue sessions.
- Picturing Impact Workshop (two rooms): Pinterest guides participants to create vision boards mapping their community impact goals.
- RGS Changemakers Panel (one room): RGS ambassadors and youth changemakers share successful community projects, including inspiration, practices, challenges, and outcomes.
- Dialogue in Action (two rooms): Aspen Institute-style Socratic dialogue helps participants connect readings to their community impact goals.
11:45am Breakout Rooms Session Two: Inspiration and Knowledge BuildingSee above. 12:30pm LunchParticipants will have the opportunity to network with one another.1:45pm Breakout Rooms Session Three: Skill Building
During sessions three and four, participants select two skill-building sessions to prepare for community project implementation:
- Pitch Perfect: Learn to craft compelling messages and confidently present ideas in various settings through interactive activities that build public speaking skills.
- Digital Storytelling for Impact: Explore digital tools and social media strategies to create powerful stories that transform local issues into action-inspiring online content.
- Community Organizing Fundamentals: Master basics of connecting with others, identifying shared goals, and creating collaborative change.
- Design Thinking Crash Course: Practice rapid design thinking to address community challenges through deep listening, creative ideation, and quick testing of user-centered solutions.
- Respectful Dialogue in a Divided World: Develop skills for effective communication across differences of opinion in today’s divided environment.
2:45pm Breakout Rooms Session Four: Skill BuildingSee above.3:45pm Peer Sharing and Ambassador FeedbackParticipants will share key learnings and planned community actions. Ambassadors will outline post-summit engagement plans and project implementation support. 4:45pm Break5:00pm DinnerBig Picture Learning will facilitate part two of the leadership journey exercise during dinner.6:30pm End
RGS Adult Chaperone Agenda
8:00am Registration and Breakfast
Attendees will enjoy breakfast at assigned tables, where they will have an opportunity to meet other chaperones.
9:00am Welcome Plenary
Big Picture will lead an interactive experience challenging participants to reflect on their leadership journeys.
10:30am Break
11:00am Session One
Engage with experts on supporting youth leadership development in educational environments and communities
12:30pm Lunch
Over lunch, participants will have the opportunity to network with one another and share insights from the morning sessions.
1:45pm Session Two
Explore effective strategies for guiding young people through important life transitions and decision-making processes
2:45pm Break
3:00pm Session Three
Discover frameworks for engaging entire families in community action and fostering intergenerational civic participation
4:00pm Break
4:15pm Reflection Session
Participate in a facilitated discussion to synthesize key learnings and plan for supporting youth-led initiatives.
5:00pm Dinner
Big Picture Learning will facilitate part two of the leadership journey exercise during dinner
6:30pm Closing Remarks