Summer officially began—but more importantly, so did countless new ideas.

Every year, the Glow Youth Summer Bash gathers young people from across New York City to learn, connect, and grow together. This year’s Rising Advocate Panel welcomed 50 students and emerging leaders—primarily high school students from across New York City and beyond, with many coming from local Queens neighborhoods, especially Flushing, alongside college students, graduate students, and young professionals. Many participants were already leading or actively involved in school clubs and community initiatives, while others came eager to discover how they, too, could make a difference. Centered on the theme From Passion to Community, the day became a space where ideas met lived experience, reminding us that creating change isn’t reserved for adults or professionals. It begins the moment someone cares enough to notice a need and take the first step.

The youth founders, nonprofit directors, and advocates who spoke didn’t offer a polished roadmap to success. Instead, they opened up about the realities that rarely make it onto a resume: the weight of social anxiety, the fear of judgment, intense burnout, and the discomfort of starting with nothing but a question.

We listened as Eric Lam from EcoBiz shared how a simple freshman biology project evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit after realizing that sustainable business education was missing from his peers’ reach. We heard Tiantian describe building the Asian Women’s Development Plan International (AWDPI) during the isolation of the pandemic, working to fill the gap between statistical data and the real, often unreported experiences of domestic violence survivors. We also heard Tanisa from Project Mango reflect on looking at NYC’s education budget and refusing to accept that proficiency rates in underserved neighborhoods could remain as low as 15%.

The overarching truth of the panel was clear: every movement begins because one person notices a gap and chooses not to look away.

Our keynote speaker, Yuna Youn, LCSW, Director and Clinical Supervisor at Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS), grounded the day’s conversations with a powerful reminder: “The opposite of hate is belonging.” She challenged us to think beyond individual achievement, emphasizing that welcoming, inclusive, and supportive communities begin with how we care for ourselves and one another. Speaking up, asking for help, extending compassion, and creating spaces where people feel seen and heard are all acts of leadership. Community, she reminded us, is not simply something we join—it is something we intentionally build together.

That message echoed throughout the panel discussion. Dana, Executive Director of Happy, encouraged participants to rethink what networking really means. Rather than a formal exchange of résumés and business cards, genuine connection begins with the courage to step outside our comfort zones, embrace vulnerability, and simply say, “I don’t have this figured out. Can you help me?” Sometimes, the most meaningful opportunities begin with one honest conversation.

That willingness to embrace the unknown came alive during the Idea Lab. Across four focus areas—Technology for Good, Arts & Storytelling, Health, and Environment—participants didn’t just brainstorm ideas; they transformed them into action. Working in small groups, they identified community challenges, designed potential solutions, and ultimately formed four youth-led project teams committed to carrying these ideas beyond the event. As Huiting from the Green Team said during the panel, meaningful engagement begins when we stop talking and “dig our hands into the soil” to create the environment we wish existed. The Idea Lab embodied exactly that spirit: turning conversation into collaboration, and inspiration into the first steps of community action.

The defining moments of the Summer Bash didn’t happen on stage or on presentation posters. They happened in the quiet spaces in between—when an introverted student found the courage to speak up, when strangers discovered shared frustrations about their neighborhoods, and when quiet voices realized they didn’t need to be the loudest in the room to be dependable leaders.

As we step into the rest of the summer, we hope participants carry with them one of the day’s recurring themes: meaningful change rarely begins with a perfect plan. Again and again, our speakers reminded us that growth often starts by taking the first step despite uncertainty, setting aside the fear of how others might perceive us, and trusting that even small actions can make a lasting difference. After all, communities are built not by waiting for the right moment, but by people who choose to begin.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes for their generous support. This program would not have been possible without your commitment to uplifting communities, preventing hate, and fostering cultural unity.

A special thank you to our moderator, Wenting Tina Xu, Program Director of Bonjour Girls, for guiding the conversation with care and clarity. We are also deeply grateful to our incredible panelists for sharing their experiences with honesty and purpose, and for showing participants what youth-led and community-driven leadership looks like in action:

• Dana He, Founder & Executive Director, H.AAPI
• Eric Lam, Co-Founder & President, EcoBiz; Western Hemisphere Lead & Director of Chinese Outreach, Bridging Seas
• Huiting Lei, Volunteer Leader, Glow Together; Co-Leader, Green Team, High School of Economics & Finance
• Tanisa Rahman, Co-Founder, Project Mango
• Tiantian Wu, U.S. Office Lead, Asian Women Development Plan International (AWDPI)

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our collaborating organizations—Apex for Youth, Asian Women Development Plan International (AWDPI), H.AAPI, and Project by Project—whose shared commitment to youth empowerment and community impact made this gathering possible. We are also grateful to our generous sponsors, AiPlus and Mrs. Hen Kitchen, for providing complimentary refreshments and helping create a welcoming experience for all attendees.

Finally, to our volunteers, staff, and partners: thank you for choosing authenticity over formality, and for creating a space where young people could learn not just from presentations, but from lived experience and truth.

Photo Gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/glownyc/albums/72177720334444817

Panel Recording: https://youtu.be/wo3v5F4360k?si=69FdFSGVtq6x6L71

Keynote Recording: https://youtu.be/oWmQ4PQHaPg?si=RTmFdSZCIJy1Z_4A

Photo Credit: Di Geng