Northern New Mexico's young people are ready to be heard. Hosted by United Way Northern New Mexico, the Youth Summit brings students, mentors, and community partners together for a full day of honest conversation, live performance, and shared leadership: rooted in where we come from, rising toward where we're going.
When: October 16, 2026, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Where: Northern New Mexico College Center for the Arts, Española, NM Who it's for: Middle and high school students, mentors, youth-serving organizations, and community partners across Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties Cost: Free
What's Happening
The day opens with registration, resource tables, and light refreshments, then moves through youth-led panels, an interactive presentation on resilience and culture called "The Way We Carry Water," and a keynote from Vera Jo Bustos, known as Coach VJ, on leadership, resilience, and performing under pressure. Live music from local youth groups runs throughout the day, and the summit closes with a youth gathering and dance from 1:30 to 4:00 PM.
Every session is shaped by young people. Youth leaders open the day, youth moderators lead the panel discussions, and the questions come from what students told us matters most to them: mental health, civic engagement, and their futures.
For Young Leaders: This Day Is Yours
You have ideas worth hearing, and this summit is built around them. Come talk with other young people about what's really going on, mental health, civic engagement, your future, and walk away with real conversations, new connections, and a keynote from Coach VJ on building mental toughness and performing under pressure, the same tools she teaches professional athletes.
There's music, there's a dance, and there's a whole room of people who showed up because your voice matters here.
Meet the Keynote: Vera Jo Bustos
Vera Jo Bustos, known as Coach VJ, is a mental performance coach and keynote speaker who has helped more than 2,000 athletes strengthen their mental game through her company, Mentality Solutions. She's known as a dynamic storyteller who turns the same tools athletes use under pressure, mental toughness, focus, and recovering from setbacks, into lessons anyone can use. At the Youth Summit, she'll bring that experience straight to the students, mentors, and partners in the room.
For Partners: REserve Your Table
If your organization serves youth and families in Los Alamos or Rio Arriba counties, this is a room full of the people you're trying to reach: students looking for opportunity, mentors looking to connect, and families looking for support that's close to home.
Reserve a resource table and:
Put your programs and services directly in front of students, mentors, and families who need them
Connect with other youth-serving organizations from across the region
Support United Way Northern New Mexico's Youth Opportunity and Community Resilience work as part of the Collective Impact network
Questions? Contact Andrea Lucero at alucero@unitedwaynnm.org or (505) 216-6834.
Special thanks to Anchorum for making the Youth Summit possible.
