On a crisp fall Saturday morning in Denver, the energy inside the Asian Girls Ignite (AGI) and Convivir Colorado space was decorated with balloons and streamers, inviting smiles and laughter to start the day. 19 middle and high school students came together for the AGI x Convivir Youth Summit, a full day designed and led by youth to foster connection amongst our communities.

As students came in, they were greeted by delicious breakfast pastries from local Denver bakery, Banh & Butter, a variety of snacks, drinks to start the day.

Students at kitchen island grabbing breakfast below cone shaped black lamps on wood ceilings

Students running around to decorate wooden beams with teal, purple, and white balloons with left window shines filtering light

long office hallway decorated with clear, white, purple, and teal balloons on wooden beams and walls

students, staff, and family grouped in warm-colored common space in office

students line up against tall check-in table writing their names on white name tags with brick walls in the back

Woman in purple shirt in front of wooden cabinets and refrigerator pouring drink into aluminum cups serving breakfast with students looking and grabbing at snacks, wooden beams decorated with teal and purple balloons in background

Students in a line entering warm-colored common space with bright window lighting coming from left

Green transparent scalloped bowl with White Rabbit candy wrapped in red, blue, white wrappers; blue transparent scalloped bowl with wrapped rice crackers; blue transparent scalloped bowl filled with wrapped Gansitos, and small scalloped bowl filled

Three cardboard pastry boxes filled with variety of baked pastries next to stack of glittered scalloped transparent plates

Why This Summit Was Needed

The challenges facing Colorado’s youth are serious and deeply structural. In Denver, schools remain intensely segregated by race and income. White students are often concentrated in schools with more resources, while Latino students and English learners are much more likely to attend high-poverty schools. Some schools in wealthier neighborhoods report graduation rates 10 to 40 percentage points higher than schools with concentrated poverty (Chalkbeat Colorado).

These disparities don’t just affect test scores, they shape life paths, access to opportunity, and the very sense of belonging for youth. Across Colorado, research from the Colorado Belonging Barometer shows that while many people report belonging at the state level and in workplaces, belonging in schools and communities is weaker, and many respondents feel ambivalent about whether they truly belong.

At the same time, the youth mental health crisis in Colorado is alarming. Between 2017 and 2021, the rate of adolescents ages 11 to 18 reporting “poor mental health” doubled, rising from 8.8 % to 18.5 %. Youth who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+ experience even greater risk, for example, 41.9 % of bisexual students reported seriously considering suicide in the past year (Colorado Health Institute).

These numbers make clear that investing in youth leadership, belonging, and safe spaces for dialogue isn’t optional. It’s vital. As we recognize that both AGI and Convivir create safe spaces for students to explore and connect through their identities, we also hope to foster a sense of security and belonging across different communities, even when identities differ.

Leadership in Motion

Six leaders from Asian Girls Ignite’s Youth Leadership Collective and Convivir co-designed this first-ever summit, meeting biweekly to plan every detail: a big shoutout to Emmy, Jessica, and Naiya from AGI and Ale, Sam, Sofi from Convivir! They embodied shared leadership, shaping everything from opening activities to closing remarks. Their voices were central to the collaborative effort, connecting students from two organizations together in a meaningful (and exciting) way! The planning and was facilitated by Jennifer Kim (Student Community Coordinator of Asian Girls Ignite), Joanne Liu (CEO & Co-Founder of Asian Girls Ignite), Karen Nuñez Sifuentes (Programs Contractor of Convivir Colorado), and Tania Chairez (CEO and Founder of Convivir Colorado).

White poster paper with black handwritten title underlines with purple hand writing in bullet points under

Group of students sitting at dark wooden table with pens, post-its, and paper scattered; office chairs in back of room with brick walls warm lighting

Pink sticky note at top with hand written prompt with multiple orange sticky notes below with handwritten messages on glass wall looking into office hallway

Group photo of eight people in half circle and woman in left corner in room with burgundy and brick walls with window and poster paper on brick on right side

Students paired up standing on striped carpet; burgundy wall next to wooden beam and white wall with glass and wooden door

What Happened

Workshops encouraged students to connect across cultures and identities through playful, collaborative activities.

As an icebreaker, students played a lively game of Inner Outer Circle. Convivir students formed an inner circle facing out, while AGI students faced them from the outside. Guided by prompts from a youth leader, pairs shared stories before rotating to meet someone new. With each turn, they uncovered small but meaningful details about one another, sparking friendships that might not have formed otherwise.

Student pairs conversating within a group of others; brick wall in background

For the main activity, students formed into groups representing both AGI and Convivir and participated in a spirited scavenger hunt, creating team names, and earning points by completing creative and reflective prompts. The experience allowed them to get to know one another in an informal setting while learning, problem-solving, and having fun together, like trying each other's favorite snack!

Students in groups conversating standing on wooden floor; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons

Students in groups conversating standing on carpet floor in office space; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons

Students in groups conversating with staff standing on carpet floor in office space; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons

Students and staff in groups conversating standing on wooden floor; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons

Students in groups conversating standing on wooden floors; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons

Students in groups conversating standing by kitchen island; room with wooden ceilings, brick walls, decorated with multicolored streamers and balloons; table with white pastry box, napkins, and cups

After a day full of games, conversations, and connection, students hopped on a bus to Lucky Strike for some bowling fun and lunch! Friendly competition and cheers filled the lanes as they celebrated new friendships and wrapped up the day with strikes, spares, and plenty of laughter.

Image of reserved area poster in lucite frame with red borders and bold text sitting on top of two large wooden decorative dice

Vertical photo of students in long bus seated on each side, posing; black ceilings with red and white marbled accents, brown shades, black floors, and cushioned seats

Students walking up to purple and pink lighted bowling lane with bowling ball in right hand with tvs above

Three students with white plates serving food at table with silver trays

Students with white plates picking up pizza at table with silver trays of pizza pies

Four students seated on red bowling alley seats with plates of food on right bottom corner

Students seated on red bowling alley seats with plates of food in the middle

Four students seated on red bowling alley seats with plates of food on right middle corner

selfie of two women in bowling alley; purple, orange, pink lights

As students returned, they decompressed with a reflective closing circle led by youth organizers, offering space for students to share takeaways and moments of gratitude. By the end of the day, they left with new insights, meaningful cross-community connections, and a deeper belief in the value of their voices.

Students look at white wall with neon yellow green sticky notes with messages written on

White wall with neon yellow green sticky notes with messages written on

Students seated in office area facing staff member standing; carpet floors, wooden ceiling

How Support Makes a Difference

The Summit was made possible by a $7,800 grant from Moonshot, this support made space for connection and deeper collaboration in Denver’s BIPOC youth communities.

For funders, the return on investment is clear:

It cultivates youth leadership where it’s most needed, among students who juggle multiple identities, face marginalization, and may not get the chance to lead.
It strengthens the local ecosystem: youth return to their schools, families, and neighborhoods carrying new confidence, networks, and vision of what it means to be in community.
It builds resilience: by centering belonging and dialogue, we help address systemic inequities while supporting the overall wellbeing of Colorado youth.

Although this was the very first summit, this won’t be the last! It is a catalyst for long-term collaboration, resilience, and building a strong collective of youth leaders across Denver.

We are deeply grateful to Moonshot for believing in youth power, to Convivir Colorado for their partnership and for sharing time and space on a Saturday morning, and to the student leaders who poured heart and intention into making the day possible. The energy and connections built throughout the event will continue to grow, as students stay in touch, reunite at future gatherings, and carry forward the spirit of collaboration and belonging across Denver.

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About Asian Girls Ignite

Founded in October 2020, Asian Girls Ignite is a nonprofit organization that provides educational programs for AANHPI girls and gender-expansive youth to celebrate their individual and collective power. We use storytelling to empower the next generation to write their futures in their own voice. Our programs nurture social-emotional learning to help our students grow in resilience, empathy, and self-awareness.

About Convivir Colorado

Convivir Colorado empowers youth impacted by migration through connection, belonging, and shared leadership. Learn more at convivircolorado.org.

About Moonshot

Moonshot supports BIPOC and historically marginalized leaders by providing resources, training, and community to design collaborative solutions that dismantle systems of inequity. Learn more at moonshotedventures.org.

Event Diaries: Asian Girls Ignite x Convivir Youth Summit