Youth Empowerment: My Journey

Presenter: Giancarlo Vicari

Organization: Center for Youth Voice, Youth Choice

Description: My presentation will describe how I joined the Center of Youth Voice, Youth Choice, began acquiring knowledge about how to become a self-advocate, and worked more on my self-determination skills. I know how to do it now after learning about the history of disabilities, how to share my story, and how my voice and my choices are important to set the goals that will guide my next steps in life as an adult from the instructors.

My experience becoming a CYVYC youth ambassador has set me on a path to keep learning, but in the process, I am also demonstrating and learning together with the people who support me and all the other support that I am building around me. Using Supported Decision-Making is helping me guide that process.

I made my showcase project, an illustrated guide about alternatives to Guardianship, with the purpose of benefiting other people with my knowledge and experience, and that I would inspire others to learn more about this stuff. I will be presenting my illustrated guide “Thinking for Me” at the meeting also. The guide, illustrated by Isabella Vicari, is about turning 18 and learning about alternatives to guardianship.