Summit for America’s Youth

Four Club members traveled to Washington, D.C., from July 12, 2026, through July 16, 2026, to participate in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Summit for America’s Youth (SAY)! SAY is BGCA’s premier youth advocacy event, and this was the McKeown Boys & Girls Club’s first time participating.

At SAY, Woburn teens joined hundreds of Club youth from across the country, alongside their adult mentors, who are engaged with the Think, Learn, Create Change (TLC) initiative, and had the opportunity to experience our nation’s capital, hear from inspirational leaders, explore careers in public service, and receive in-depth training and resources to further their advocacy.

In addition, the teens were able to showcase their local advocacy project, The Cost of a Choice, which researched youth theft and its lack of consequences, to their fellow youth advocates. Finally, they put all their new tools into practice on Capitol Hill as they shared their stories with the offices of Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Senator Ed Markey, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Aubre, Jane, Malak & Vanessa left SAY 2026 feeling empowered to continue making change in their community, embarking on a lifelong path of advocacy, positive change, and civic engagement!