The 3-day #F
reeOurDreams Youth Organizing Summit and Advocacy Day event for California youth was held from August 5th through the 8th. Participating youth stayed at the dorm rooms at the UC Davis campus for the entire event. Youth from all over California departed in their buses Friday morning, bonding and getting to know each other along the way to Davis.
The event started with community building activities such as getting into groups and introducing themselves and talking about their opinions and who they are. Quickly after that, they continued on to the dorms ending the day.
Youth woke Saturday morning and had breakfast provided by the campus. Youth went on during the day doing various activities With a focus on encouraging them on advocating for what they think is right such as having a Free Our Dreams activism college and career panel. From there they Continued on to participate in workshops of various subject matter like crimmigration, a youth strategy session, defeating 
gang injunctions, and more.
“With this event, our youth are stepping up. They are finding their voices,” says Jose Pinto, a youth advocate from South Kern when asked what he felt was most important about this event.
On Sunday the youth particip
ated in workshops to better know themselves and about their communities and others while preparing for the next day at the Capitol and ending with a prep rally.
On Monday morning the youth packed their bags, boarded their buses, and left to the Capitol with a #FreeOurDreams march around Downtown Sa
cramento. The youth got into their groups and go talk with elected officials within the Capitol about issues surrounding their own community. The event ended with everyone boarding their buses and heading home.
