YouthVoice and Youth Leadership Initiatives

YouthVoice Background

When she was inaugurated as NCACC president, former Cleveland County Commissioner Mary Accor told commissioners that when they reconvened for their next Annual Conference, she wanted to see the next generation of leaders in attendance as part of a youth leadership development initiative.

With the support of the NCACC Board of Directors and the presidents who have followed Accor, the NCACC is reconvening YouthVoice for its 12th iteration at the 116th Annual Conference, August 24-26, 2023, in Wake County.

YouthVoice provides county commissioners with the opportunity to connect with the next generation of leaders. The event brings together Youth Delegates from 4-H Youth Development clubs and Boys and Girls Clubs of North Carolina.

YouthVoice, which takes place on Friday and Saturday of the NCACC’s Annual Conference, offers sessions that help youth gain a better understanding of what county governments do and the role of commissioners as the governing body for counties, and provides multiple opportunities for youth and county officials to connect. Youth and county officials are formally together for Saturday morning’s breakfast and General Session, however county officials are invited to participate in other educational components of YouthVoice (advance notification to NCACC staff is required; contact Jason King at 919-715-0045).

County officials will also have the opportunity to meet their county’s Youth Delegate prior to the conference. In order to qualify to attend, Youth Delegates must speak at a Board of County Commissioners meeting prior to YouthVoice and submit a photo of themselves with their Board of Commissioners.

The Association strives to bring a diverse mix of youth representatives age 14-19 from each of North Carolina’s 100 counties to YouthVoice.

The NCACC has partnered with 4-H Youth Development, a service of N.C. Cooperative Extension, to coordinate and bring Youth Delegates to YouthVoice since its inception. The Association welcomed Boys and Girls Clubs of North Carolina as a partner organization in 2012 to bring additional representatives to YouthVoice.