Inaugural Montgomery County Youth Summit brings 100 students to MCCC

More than 100 students gathered at Montgomery County Community College this weekend to discuss issues that matter most to them.

The inaugural Montgomery County Youth Summit facilitated candid conversations Saturday morning between teens, adult participants and Montgomery County Commissioners.

“I came in today because I wanted to be able to have honest conversations with our local politicians and to be able to have my own voices and concerns heard,” said Kennedy Dingle, 17, of Plymouth Meeting.

“I just think it’s really good to advocate your voice. Not just on recurring issues, but also more common issues. I think it’s good to bring up issues that people kind of do overlook,” said Aliyas Hudson, 18, of Pottstown.

The idea for a youth-focused forum originated some months ago when a student spoke on issues impacting youth during the public comment portion of a commissioners’  board meeting. The student’s remarks stuck with commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder, who said she was inspired to foster an environment for teens to come together.

“The thing that I want them to take away is that your elected leaders care about your point of view. It’s not just about the people that are of voting age that we care about,” Winder said.

The forum began with a question and answer session where students were able to speak directly with Montgomery County leaders. Students sought to learn more about existing immigration focused policies, why the county commissioners pursued politics and current initiatives they’re working on.

“I think you’re all going to be extremely successful,” Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello told the students.

While Winder “didn’t have [county] commissioner on my bingo card,” she told youth “it’s about seizing opportunities on the journey” and drawing on her own lived experiences.

Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija agreed, saying it’s “really important to find the issues that you care about and find the levers to make a difference.”

County commissioners highlighted a number of focus issues, including artificial intelligence, the county budget, elections, and homelessness. Winder said she wanted to create a “safe place for kids to talk about the things that are on their mind” with the youth summit.

“While the adults oftentimes are busy fighting over the issues, I think this is a moment where we can be grounded in how do we as elected leaders take a pause, listen to what’s on the hearts and minds of the generation coming up behind us and start thinking about how do we enact policy that can change the trajectory of their lives,” Winder told MediaNews Group.

Winder spotlighted the economy, immigration, social media and technology as top issues for teens.

“We’re in an affordability crisis, and so I’m sure many kids go home at night and hear their parents talking about the price of gas, the price of food, the cost of going to college,” Winder said.

It’s a pressing concern for Dingle, a Plymouth Whitemarsh High School senior, who will soon graduate and go on to Howard University. Dingle said she’s noticed rising costs at the gas pump and the grocery store.

“As someone who is now trying to pay for my higher education, I’m seeing how $4.50 for gas is impacting me greatly,” Dingle said. “And I see how there’s so much stress and nerves across coming to money and figuring out where I want to live.”

“I want to major in psychology. I want to be a doctor, but medical school is expensive, so I need to find alternative ways to make sure I have money to be able to survive,” Dingle said.

Immigration, education funding discussed

Much of the conversation centered around immigration as federal immigration officials have maintained a presence throughout Montgomery County conducting enforcement actions and detainments.

“To me, personally, I think one of the glaring issues right now is Immigration and Customs Enforcement and how much they have been in our areas and how much of a stress they have put on our communities,” Dingle told MediaNews Group.

One student applauded the other people at her table who said “they think immigrants definitely do give to the community, which personally, made me feel very supported.”

Advocates and area residents have repeatedly called on county commissioners to enact legislation that provides more stringent protections for undocumented immigrants. When asked about a “welcoming policy” in Montgomery County, Makhija acknowledged that “it’s a complicated issue because … local governments don’t enforce immigration policy.”

“You asked probably the toughest question that we could start with,” he said.

The county previously amended its ICE detainer policy at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility and issued a policy on employee communication practices, prohibiting the assistance “in immigration enforcement operations unless required by law and supported by a lawful judicial warrant or subpoena.”

Makhija and Winder have vowed not to deputize local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration enforcement actions. A resolution passed in March restricted federal agents from conducting enforcement operations on county-owned properties.

Makhija also told students of the several supportive actions taken, including hiring former ACLAMO CEO Nelly Jimenez to serve as the county’s director of immigrant affairs and investing $10 million in community centers across the county and making translations more accessible.

“We have focused on ensuring we are not being complacent,” Winder said.

While a majority of speakers voiced their support for the county’s immigrant community, a moderator at one table conveyed a differing perspective to the contentious issue.

The moderator noted it was a “nuanced conversation,” but “the core value that emerged was” that “a few people felt that breaking a rule, coming here illegally … is not a good pathway to becoming one of us…”

Chris Satullo, a civic engagement consultant affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia-based organization Community of the Seventy, stressed that “it’s OK to disagree.”

“That’s where the fun is, that’s where the learning is and that’s where democracy happens” as participants “deal with differences and disagreements,” Satullo said.

Other discussion topics included artificial intelligence, drugs in schools, financial literacy, mental health, social media, and the war in Iran. On the subject of education, while some students expressed their concerns about the lack of monies available for districts in Norristown and Pottstown, others criticized actions being taken in Harrisburg.

“We talked about Shapiro and his effects on our areas surrounding our schools, and how we as students feel like there’s more that he can do in regards to protecting the atmosphere and developing more of an atmosphere, so young people are then more engaged in what’s around them,” a student said.

“We talked a lot about the funding issues and how the students feel that … the funding isn’t being used to support students,” one student said.

“One of the common issues that our table talked about is the funding and just the fact that lack of funding keeps a cycle in … poverty,” one student said of the historically underfunded Norristown Area School District.

Another student said “I feel like there should be more education funding.” The Norristown Area School District has 7,598 students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. Of those, school district data lists 52.8% as Hispanic. A student noted how “most” are English language learners.

“I feel like the lack of education funding that [is received] is unfair because it’s based on test scores,” a student said. “It’s based on something that most students cannot comprehend, and I feel like it’s so unfair.”

‘You all give me hope’

As moderators helped to facilitate dialogue among the students, the adults in the room sat back and listened to students speak on a variety of subjects. While some shared their reservations over the turbulent current political climate, PA Youth Vote co-founder Angelique Hinton, appeared confident with the crop of students representing the next generation.

“When people say to me they’re so concerned about the state of our country, I’m always like, ‘hold on, we’re going to be okay,’” Hinton said. “Because these young people are not just taking selfies on social media. They get tons and tons of information on their phone, and as you can hear, they’re very informed and they’re very passionate about issues.”

Winder expressed admiration for the students who took time out of their weekend to lend their voices and ideas.

“You all give me hope,” Winder said.

Winder said the county is expecting to roll out a junior commissioner to give participating high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn and raise awareness on issues impacting young people in Montgomery County.

“I think it’s so important that you all hold elected officials accountable,” Winder said. “We have a lot of work to do, and we’re doing it because we want to leave the world better than when we found it.”