Youth Voice: Grace Wolfman’s Perspective as a Facilitator-in-Training

Written by Grace Wolfman, Facilitator-in-Training

I was recently offered the incredible opportunity to travel to Orange County, California, with the Open Doors team to share a youth perspective on our program at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Conference.

On the first day, I helped co-facilitate the Open Doors workshop with our lovely facilitators, Crystal Blanton and Tia Cochran-Otis. Together, we talked about how restorative justice is central to Open Doors and just how wide-reaching and meaningful it can be in youth-serving spaces.

I’ll admit, I was a little nervous. This was my first-ever conference workshop, presenting on something that was not entirely new to me but still felt like a big step. With the support of Crystal and Tia, the packed room seemed completely engaged, which helped me build the confidence that had been slow to come at first.

By the end of the workshop, I felt like it had been a huge success. More than anything, I felt grateful to be there and to provide the kind of youth voice that is often missing from conferences like these.

Feeling Supported as a Facilitator-in-Training

Even though the Open Doors workshop was my main reason for attending, I was also offered another amazing opportunity: presenting with the Catalyst Center‘s wonderful Permanency & Youth Engagement Advisor, Celeste Walley.

On the second day, Celeste led a workshop on the Youth Facilitator Training, which she played a large role in developing, and on how it has supported my journey — and the journeys of the other Facilitators-in-Training — throughout the program.

This workshop was easily the highlight of my experience. Not only was Celeste’s presentation absolutely excellent and very in-depth, but it also showed just how supported we are as young people in the Open Doors program.

Even getting the chance to write about this experience brought me back to the care and pride I felt throughout the conference. Working with Open Doors has greatly broadened my skills, thanks to the thoughtful support of our facilitators and all the staff involved.

What I Keep Coming Back To

To give a slightly less professional summary — and what I’ve basically been shouting from the rooftops all year: I love Open Doors, and I love being a Facilitator-in-Training!