9th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit - Thursday, Sept 24, 2026 at UC Davis!
Recap of the 2025 Youth Empowerment Summit!
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Students will get the opportunity to sit down with local Elected Officials, as well as City & School Administrators, and talk to them about the issues most important to today's youth!
Mock Election
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Students will vote on a handful of today's pressing issues and see how their opinions compare with the rest of America. This exercise utilizes real Yolo County Elections voting booths and ballot scanners to provide an authentic voting experience!
Afternoon of Engagement
Roundtable Discussions with local Elected Officials
Afternoon of Engagement
*New activity for 2025!* Students will have the opportunity to meet and hear from local and regional non-profit organizations and find ways to get involved in the community!
Local Government 101
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
Afternoon of Engagement
Led by the Yolo County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters, Jesse Salinas will educate students about the importance of local government, and explain how it affects our everyday lives in ways we often don't think about!
Meet other students!
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
With over 100 students in attendance from 8+ different schools, attendants will have the opportunity to meet like-minded students from all across Yolo County!
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
Raffle Prizes and SWAG!
Along with the swag-bag full of goodies every student will get to take home, all students in attendance will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes, ranging from gift cards to AirPods!
About the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES!)
Say YES!
YES! is a nationally award winning program with a mission to empower and encourage youth to say “YES!” to leadership roles and civic engagement in their local communities.
The 8th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit
In 2025, we celebrated 8 years of youth saying YES to civic engagement! On Thursday, September 25th, 2025, the 8th annual Youth Empowerment Summit was held at the UC Davis ARC Ballroom. The event was a great success, with 145 students and 30 Elected Officials from all over Yolo County in attendance.
YES! seeks to educate youth about local government, the election process, and the importance of voting and civic engagement. Thanks to the support of our community, businesses, corporate sponsors, participants will have the chance to win hundreds of dollars in prizes, such as gift cards, gift baskets, gift certificates, swag, and more!
The 9th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit is right around the corner, once again being held in Fall 2026. Interested students will have the opportunity to register for the event later this year through their school. Please check back soon for more details! Remember to share this information among your friends and peers!