On April 15, 2025, youth and adults from Colchester High School’s social justice clubs convened for a day of engagement centered on the theme of cultivating joy in change work. This event emphasized the vital role that joy plays in sustaining long-term efforts to uphold the dignity and rights of all people. The day’s program highlighted a strong commitment to authentic youth-adult partnership. Throughout the event, young people and adults collaborated as equals, demonstrating the power of intergenerational work in advancing social justice. 

The activities were intentionally designed to cultivate both connection and purpose. The morning featured collaborative expressions of joy through lip sync performances and sculpture building, setting a tone of collective energy and creativity. These initial activities were followed by facilitated circle dialogues that invited sincere and meaningful conversations. Youth and adults shared their experiences, insights, and aspirations.

A significant portion of the day was dedicated to analyzing survey data from the Youth Truth Survey. Youth and adults worked together to check their perceptions alongside the data set and begin to articulate how data can align with their club’s priorities for systemic change within the school community. This exercise underscored the importance of grounding advocacy in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) that centers both lived experiences and data, ensuring that future actions are informed, targeted, and inclusive.

District administrators, partners from the Howard Center, and the Superintendent all hosted listening sessions around a variety of topics that provided an opportunity for open dialogue. These sessions exemplified youth-adult partnership in action with students contributing as knowledgeable stakeholders whose perspectives are essential to shaping policies and practices.

The day concluded with an artistic celebration of joy, featuring a dance workshop led by Jeh Kulu Dance & Drum Theater. Through movement and music, participants reaffirmed the power of joy as a sustaining force in collective struggles for equity and justice. This closing activity encapsulated the event’s central message: that nurturing joy is fundamental to building powerful movements and inclusive communities.

This gathering at Colchester High School stands as a powerful example that joy is not separate from activism but integral to it. Sustained engagement in social justice work requires spaces for healing, connection, and celebration. By prioritizing joy, participants demonstrated not only resistance to oppression but also commitment to building a future rooted in hope and solidarity.

Read more about UP and Colchester here.