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Op-ed by Nicole Dillon, Vice President of Youth Initiatives at A Call to Men

We ask young people to adapt to a world that is always changing. They are expected to stay hopeful as laws shift, to stay kind in a culture that often values toughness, and to be resilient while facing uncertainty that even adults struggle to define. Sometimes, they are caught up in global events beyond their control that change how they see life. According to the Survey Center on American Life, 60 percent of Gen Z adults said the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic had a major impact on their life’s direction.

Throughout my career, I have worked closely with young people from all over the country, and I keep seeing the same thing: Youth are not waiting for the future. They are already imagining it, sketching it, writing it, coding it, singing it, filming it, and dreaming it into reality. Our job is not to control their vision, but to give it space to grow. I think many young people would agree. A 2024 study from Cangrade found that nearly 17 percent of Gen-Z professionals value relationship-building and collaboration when working toward a goal.

That’s why we turned our annual art experience into something bigger, the Youth Rising Project. This national art contest invites high school students to create original work in any medium around the theme of “Building the World You Want to See.” For years, our work focused on identifying what needs to be taken apart. That is still important. But taking things apart is not the end goal. Once something is broken down, we have to ask, what are we building instead. And how can we use our talents and skills to share that message with others? Young people want to answer those questions for themselves, and they deserve the chance to do so.

When I was growing up in church, people would say that without young people, the church has no future. What they meant was clear: youth are the ones who carry what comes next. That idea still guides me. Today, as many young people face instability, injustice, and fear, we need to give them more than warnings about what is wrong. We need to offer hope with support, vision with guidance, and a shared goal they can work toward together.

The word “build” is central to Youth Rising’s theme. When we give young people the tools they need to shape the future they want, we help them believe in their own ideas and dreams. Throughout history, young people have often started important movements. When they feel empowered to imagine the world they want, they can help create a fairer future for everyone.

It’s through this lens that I view adult leadership. All too often, many adults believe it’s their role to manage or “fix” things within younger generations, but I tend to look at it differently. While our respective ages and ensuing wisdom do, indeed, qualify us as teachers, we’re also learners. Students, even if you will. Our job is, of course, to guide and mentor the young folx in our lives, but we must also listen and stay curious. It is imperative that we uplift their voices and follow their lead because the truest example of partnership is dreaming with these brilliant people as opposed to handing them a future that they didn’t even consent to.

Some of the most important influences in my life were Black women I watched from a distance. These were my teachers, cousins, educators, and god-sisters. While they did not always give me formal advice, I learned to live my life by the examples they set. They failed and tried again. They entered rooms with confidence. More than anything I could ever read or learn in a book, their examples taught me that mentorship is often more about how you live than what you say.

I still carry those lessons with me. Young people are always watching—not to see if we are perfect, but to see if we are honest, if we admit our mistakes, if we keep growing, and if we live with integrity. Simply showing up as your true self, still learning and growing, can quietly encourage someone else to do the same.

If I’m being radically transparent, I practice that in my own life. Oftentimes, people will ask me when did I give myself permission to rise without apology, and truthfully? There wasn’t a single moment because it’s a daily choice. Every day, I make the conscious decision to evolve, ask the tough questions, and learn from my mistakes. There are days when that load feels easier than others to carry. But, in reality, that is exactly what I want these young people to see; we never fully arrive. It’s actually the opposite — we are always becoming.

This is the spirit behind the Youth Rising Project. Five young people will each receive a $2,000 award, and winners will be honored at our 2026 Youth Summit in New York City. But the real victory is in the journey. It is the student who learns a new skill, the one who researches a new issue, the one who finds collaborators, the one who discovers their imagination has power, and the one who leaves believing their ideas matter—maybe for the first time.

We live in a world that subtly yet powerfully instructs young people to shrink themselves and their aspirations in the name of survival, but we refuse to subscribe to such antiquated thinking. The message we’re sending is simple—dream bigger! We want them to use their platforms, bring out their fullest potential, and remember that they’re never alone. They have people right beside them, cheering them on and ready to help.

And make no mistake; the future is not some glitzy inheritance that they’ll have access to one day. It’s actually something they’re influencing right now with their boldness, brilliance, and kindness and I look forward to seeing the world they create. 

The truth is, young people step up every day. The real question is whether we are stepping up with them. 

Takeaways for Those Supporting Youth Today

Dream with them, not for them: Partnership begins when adults release the need to control the outcome and instead honor youth as co-creators of what comes next.

Treat building as an action, not a metaphor: Inspire young folx to see themselves as active participants in shaping their communities instead of passive bystanders. This happens through creativity, learning, and collective care.

Model becoming: Let youth witness your growth in real time. Your honesty about failure and evolution gives them permission to keep going.

Lead with curiosity: Listening deeply is one of the most powerful forms of respect we can offer young people.

Create platforms for youth: Make space for youth leadership, amplify their voices, and protect their ability to experiment boldly.

Invest in the process, not just the winners: Transformation happens in learning, collaborating, researching, and imagining — long before awards are given.

Walk beside them: The most radical message we can send young people today is this: you do not have to build the future alone.

About Nicole Dillon

Nicole Dillon is the Vice President of Youth Initiatives for A Call to Men, a worldwide leader in training and educating men and boys to embrace and promote a healthy, respectful manhood.

For over 10 years, Nicole’s roles in career services, partnerships and higher education have centered around serving as a bridge, connecting young people to resources needed for success. At New Visions for Public Schools, Nicole served on the Community Engagement team, ensuring that NYC high schools had the resources needed to create experiential learning opportunities for students. In every position she’s had– from creating and leading professional development programs for CUNY college students, to supporting first generation students in securing employment at ProjectBasta–using strategy and data driven implementation, Nicole prides herself in being a champion for the youth she serves.

Nicole is a movement and wellness enthusiast, residing in Brooklyn, New York with roots in the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago.