Young people learn they’re all in the same boat

We’re not naive. We know that for some teens the annual Simi Valley Youth Summit is nothing more than a day to get out of class (see story page 15). But for a handful of others who take part, it can be a truly life-changing experience.

One day a year, students with diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and interests are forced to tear down walls that hold them apart.

It starts with putting away their school colors.

What’s special about the youth summit is that it’s open to all high school age students who either live or go to school in Simi Valley. Students who would never otherwise come in contact with one another—say those from La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks and those from Simi’s Apollo High—get together to talk about issues that affect all of them.

At the 2010 summit last week, more than 100 students were put into groups of 15 or so to talk about crime, the environment and school activities. In those groups, the kids didn’t have their teammates or bandmates or clique-mates with them.

They were all individuals taking time to hear other opinions, show respect in disagreements and, more often than not, find excitement in their similarities.

It’s a wonder how the common desire for an Arby’s fastfood restaurant can bring together kids who would never find themselves at the same lunch table.

High school students don’t need any help pointing out their differences.

The need everyone feels at that age to “fit in” or “belong” often forces us to surround ourselves with others who have similar interests and ideas.

It’s easy to stay in our cliques at any age, but for the kids who attended last week’s summit, comfort was cast aside in an effort to answer one simple question: How do we make Simi Valley an even better community?

If you ask us, the summit itself is a pretty good start.