Nothing for Our Children, Without Our Children: Highlights from the U4Y Summit

It takes a powerful movement to bring 270+ people into a conference room at 8:30 in the morning—energized and ready to engage. 

It takes a powerful movement to bring 270+ people into a conference room at 8:30 in the morning—energized and ready to engage. But that is exactly what happens when a network like United for Youth comes together. School administrators, elected officials, students, nonprofit leaders, law enforcement, business owners, and spiritual leaders all arrived ready to contribute.


That was the scene at the March 24 United for Youth Cradle to Career 2026 Summit. This annual gathering brings together Buncombe County’s most committed leaders to learn, discuss, and build solutions to the challenges facing our youth. United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County staff were present in our backbone role, working alongside the U4Y Leadership Team to present a powerful combination of data and lived experience—all in service of the Bold Community Goal.


Leaning into the guiding principle, “nothing for our children, without our children,” the day was emceed by early college student Julia Darity, a leader with Umoja and a consistent member of U4Y leadership for the past two years. She welcomed U4Y leader Dr. Ameris Lavender and UWABC staff member Lissie Green Geyer, who together offered an in-depth look at Buncombe County’s shared youth data and what it tells us about the path toward greater youth success.


With data providing one side of the story, keynote speaker Sherri Chisholm, Executive Director of Leading on Opportunity, brought a systems-level perspective rooted in Charlotte’s work to improve economic mobility. She spoke to the perseverance required to support young people and communities over time, then guided the room into one of the day’s most powerful moments: a youth panel. Six students—Jazmin Acevedo, Ke’ive Ellis, A’Lyrik Flemming, Layla Ramsey, Jarayah Brigin, and Charlee Carcuso—shared their experiences, named urgent needs, and offered clear insight into what young people need adults to understand.


Building on the thoughtfulness of the panel, the day shifted toward one of United for Youth’s strategic priorities: the critical role of caring, trusted, and engaged adults. Participants were introduced to the six opportunity objectives and their corresponding workgroups, creating clarity around where each person could plug into this shared effort.


As the day continued, conversations deepened, and energy remained high, fueled by student performances including marching spoken word by Ellie, CWA Mus, DJ Tennezee, and DJ Oli. With that momentum, participants moved into breakout workgroups aligned with the opportunity objectives, filling classrooms and conference rooms at A-B Tech. Each group took on a specific challenge facing our community, working together to identify solutions and move closer to achieving the Bold Community Goal.


What made the day powerful was not just the ideas shared, but the collective commitment in the room. When young people, community leaders, and partners come together with a shared purpose, real progress becomes possible. The Summit was not an endpoint—it was a continuation of the work, a reminder that achieving the Bold Community Goal will take all of us, showing up, listening, and taking action together.

 

Thank you to the 2026 Cradle to Career sponsor, Duke Energy. Without you, this event would not be possible. 

 

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