.png/:/rs=h:200,cg:true,m/qt=q:95)
Rooted in Youth is a youth-led podcast powered by our YLAB Student Ambassadors and sponsored by Project AWARE, providing a platform for young people to amplify their voices and lead meaningful conversations. Each episode features students exploring the topics that matter most to them—mental health, leadership, identity, community issues, and more—while sharing their lived experiences, perspectives, and solutions. YLAB Student Ambassadors also interview speakers for the upcoming NEPA Youth-Led Leadership Conference, share updates throughout the planning process, and highlight key moments from the conference after April. Rooted in Youth ensures that teens are not just heard, but valued as leaders shaping their communities and the world around them.
Ready to Lead, Make an Impact, and Be Heard?
The Youth Leadership Advisory Board (YLAB) is more than a leadership program—it's a community of passionate young people who are ready to grow, create change, and make their voices matter.
Designed for students ages 15–18, YLAB empowers youth to develop leadership skills, build confidence, strengthen their mental wellness, connect with mentors, and turn their ideas into action through meaningful service-learning projects.
As a YLAB participant, you'll gain access to:
Whether you're already a leader or just beginning to discover your potential, YLAB provides the tools, support, and opportunities to help you grow into the person you are meant to become.
Your voice matters. Your ideas matter. Your future matters.
Applications for the 2026–2027 YLAB Program will open soon. Join a movement of young leaders who are making a difference in their schools, communities, and beyond.
Are you ready to lead? Apply and become part of the next generation of changemakers.
The Media & Mentorship Lab through Youth Infusion, Inc. offers young people the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in digital media, storytelling, marketing, and content creation through real-world, youth-led projects.
Rather than a fixed workshop model, the Lab supports students as they integrate media into their service-learning and community-impact work. Participants are guided by experienced media mentors to explore how storytelling can amplify issues they care about, elevate community voices, and create meaningful change.
For example, students interested in producing a documentary to raise awareness around their service-learning topic can work alongside mentors to plan, film, edit, and distribute their project. Students exploring environmental sustainability, farm-to-table initiatives, or the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may interview local farmers, chefs, or environmental leaders—learning firsthand about sustainable practices while documenting the process through video production and digital storytelling.
Through these experiences, students develop practical media skills, creative confidence, and strategic thinking while building portfolio-ready content. The Media & Mentorship Lab empowers youth to use media as a tool for civic engagement, environmental awareness, entrepreneurship, and community connection—preparing them for future educational, career, and leadership opportunities.
The Transparent Podcast is a bold, heartfelt, and empowering show — sponsored by Sanofi and powered by Youth Infusion — that uplifts, celebrates, and supports the LGBTQ+ community across Northeast Pennsylvania and beyond.
It creates space for authentic stories from LGBTQ+ youth, adults, families, and allies, offering real conversations about identity, belonging, mental health, relationships, leadership, and the everyday lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. Through interviews, storytelling, community spotlights, and honest dialogue, the podcast builds visibility, safety, and connection — creating a platform where people feel seen, heard, and supported, while reducing stigma and fostering understanding.
Rooted in advocacy and acceptance, the Transparent Podcast strengthens community reach and youth engagement, helping LGBTQ+ youth connect with resources, allies, and opportunities that affirm who they are.
Young people know what’s working, and what’s not, when it comes to support in their schools and communities. Strong Minds, Bright Futures, in partnership with Youth Infusion, is inviting teens across Pennsylvania to share their perspectives through short, youth-led video interviews.
We’re looking for young people who are willing to talk about, what helps them feel supported, barriers to getting help when it’s needed, and what schools, communities, and leaders could do better.
These stories will help inform conversations with educators, families, and policymakers about how to improve access to supports for young people across Pennsylvania.
Participation is completely voluntary and if you’re interested in learning more or being featured, please complete the interest form and our team will follow up with next steps. Your experiences can help shape solutions that work for teens today and in the future.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.