By Syed Murtaza-Rose, national youth leadership council
This year marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, reminding us not only of the lives lost, but also of the calls for unity, resilience, and compassion that have brought communities together. This year, the national youth leadership council (nylc) continued its commitment to honor this legacy by supporting youth across the country in conducting meaningful acts of service and leadership within their own communities. In partnership with 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps, and the Shinnyo-en Foundation, nylc facilitated the third year of the Peacemaking Cohort within the Youth as Solutions® program, with a mission to approach unity by building interfaith relationships and creating connections to 9/11 Day’s Meal Pack days of service by addressing food insecurity within local contexts.
In the summer of 2026, the program brought together 10 teams across 10 states to learn about 9/11, studying the historical context and exploring what Peacemaking looks like today. The program focused on actively engaging youth and adult participants in activities and discussions to foster understanding, cooperation, unity and positive relationships in their communities. Program participants utilized the IGNITE service-learning cycle to understand their personal stake in the public problem of food insecurity. Teams built their expertise by conducting research, speaking with experts, and conducting their own interviews and surveys. By gathering and analyzing data from the community, youth developed an understanding of the specific food insecurity issues in their communities such as outdated directories of community resources, stigma and confusion around accessing food pantries, and challenges facing veterans during their transition to civilian life. Youth-led teams designed community projects that met real needs and inspired others to act.
Recognizing that each community experiences food insecurity differently, teams also worked with local stakeholders to develop individualized plans of action. The Bay Area EDSA team partnered with the American Legion Auxiliary Post 105 to put together care packages for veterans, identifying that the challenges facing veterans after leaving the military include food insecurity, financial stress, isolation, and mental health issues as they transition back into civilian life. This project showed the team that food insecurity is connected to broader issues of well-being and that supporting community means both understanding and addressing the different challenges that people face.
Another team in Ohio, from Aurora High School, saw that their community had great resources and partnerships to address food insecurity; however after holding a town hall with stakeholders like the Aurora Community Relief Fund, Knights of Columbus, and the City of Aurora, they found that organizations didn’t have knowledge of each other’s work. This team addressed food insecurity by updating the current directory with available resources and organizations, distributing the directory among organizations addressing food insecurity, and increasing awareness of residents to the resources available.
Throughout the program, teams gathered virtually to network, share ideas, and develop skills. Monthly gatherings included discussions from defining impact to building partnerships. In addition to monthly gatherings, teams were given an opportunity to hear from faith leaders on a panel which included Rabbi Megan Brundney, Rev. Dr. Rodney Diggs, and Imam Mohammed Ishtiaq. The panelists had deep discussion on working alongside other faiths as a collective to support the community and the importance of service through the lens of faith.
The Las Vegas Area Council of Scouting America, Troop 129 developed a partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and JustServe to host their service day event, starting with a 9/11 remembrance ceremony with speakers, poetry, and songs, and ending the day with service. The team assembled snack packs for unhoused individuals residing in the Las Vegas Tunnels, care kits for babies in foster care, distributed canned food to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church and St. John Neumann, and supported creating a new pantry at Jeremiah Program to support single mothers.
Other teams created connections between the mission of their organization and service through 9/11 Day. The Music No Boundaries team from Katy, Texas whose mission is to “make music education more accessible,” planned and hosted a September 11th Day of Service concert and food drive, in partnership with the Living Word Lutheran Church. Attendees of the concert were encouraged to bring nonperishable donations that could be distributed to local families. Claire Wang, a youth leader for the team reflected on how the mission of 9/11 Day aligned with her team’s.
“One of my favorite memories was seeing the concert and food drive come together after all the planning. What stood out most was watching youth musicians perform while families and community members arrived with food donations. It made the project feel much more personal because we could see people using music not just for entertainment, but as a way to bring the community together and support local families.”
Participation in Youth as Solutions was instrumental not only in creating change for the community but also in fostering civic responsibility and personal growth for the youth leaders. The Society of Child Entrepreneurs team from Kansas held a community dinner along with a resource fair. The youth leaders of the team, Melody Ellis and Kaylee Weissinger, also wrote and illustrated a children’s book called First Time Fears, a story about a child visiting a food bank for the first time. Through their project, the team learned first hand how to overcome challenges such as changing venues four times due to broken stoves and gas leaks. Leah Ellis, the adult mentor, shared her thoughts “it brought people together, shared food and resources, challenged stigma, and gave two children the opportunity to serve their community in a meaningful way. Most importantly, it proved something I believed from the beginning: children do not have to wait until adulthood to become leaders. With information, trust, responsibility, and support, they can lead now.”
From the San Francisco Bay Area to Charleston, South Carolina, youth took action on food insecurity in the way that it mattered most to their communities. Every project was rooted in a belief that young people are not just future leaders, they are leaders now.
For the students, the work went beyond projects. They gained skills in leadership, collaboration, relationship building, and civic engagement, learning the power of mentorship and community-building. They learned how to identify community needs, how to build partnerships, and how to see themselves as leaders in the legacy of 9/11. By equipping both youth and adults with the tools and guidance to discover and innovate, this program focuses on the sustainability of action beyond a project’s completion.
As the third year of the Peacemaking Cohort and the 25th anniversary of 9/11 come to a close, the impact is clear. Communities were strengthened, stakeholders saw the capability of youth, and youth were empowered as leaders. Together, nylc, 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps, and the Shinnyo-en Foundation remain committed to empowering more young leaders to take meaningful action in their communities. The success of the partnership is a testament to the power of service-learning in youth leadership and civic engagement.
Thank you to the participating teams:
Aurora High School (Aurora, Ohio)
Bay Area Eating Disorder Support & Awareness (San Francisco, California)
Camp Fire Patuxent Area (Bowie, Maryland)
DJ Center for Youth (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Las Vegas Area Council fo Scouting America, Troop 129 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Music No Boundaries (Katy, Texas)
Porter Gaud School (Charleston, South Carolina)
Students Against Destructive Decisions (Hollywood, Florida)
The Society of Child Entrepreneurs (Goddard, Kansas)
Piedmont Scouting Support (Clemmons, North Carolina)
