Youth Futures
Young Californians have played an essential role in enacting meaningful change and prioritizing intergenerational collaboration in this state from the very beginning.
Throughout the initiative, California 100 partnered with more than 1,000 youth leaders, activists and organizers to dream big, envision and inspire a more vibrant future for our next century.
Young people from regions throughout California came together to form a coalition of campus-based Futures Fellows, draft a 10-part Youth Manifesto for the Future, co-design the first-ever Youth Futures Summit held at the Capitol in Sacramento, and build meaningful and ambitious connections to lay the groundwork for a Youth Futures Movement to continue this work in the years ahead.
Through various projects and activities, California 100 seeks to move California towards an aspirational vision—changing policies and practices, attitudes and mindsets, to inspire a more vibrant future.
youth futures manifesto
Young people from regions throughout California came together to form a coalition of campus-based Futures Fellows and draft a 10-part Youth Manifesto for the Future.
youth futures summit
In Spring 2023, California 100 convened more than 500 student leaders, youth activists and partner organizations on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Sacramento for the California 100 Youth Futures Summit — the first long-term futures event of its kind in the entire country.
Youth leaders and campus activists from regions across the state gathered to take action, make art, write postcards to influential state leaders, build connections, dance, meditate, and celebrate their collective visions and commitments for the future of California.
Artists, musicians, and creative thinking partners from regions across the state infused the convening with a unique energy.
Set of 12 original mural panels created by native artist Sorren Thunder Richards and drawing inspiration from the themes, visions and commitments in Our Dreams, Our California: A Youth Futures Manifesto
Youth-curated lineup of over 15 young musicians and DJs by the Sacramento Youth Center, and land acknowledgement and opening ceremony by Red Hoop Singers.
Live, collaborative storytelling game led by AfroRithms from the Future centering vibrant BIPOC perspectives. Each player is a traveler of the multiverse, exploring possible futures and creating inventive artifacts to send back to all the other parallel worlds.
Larger-than-life climate action Astro Botanical sculptures, Dadara’s Transformoney Tree, and Valorie Mallory’s Woman Tree.
Interactive workshops and booths from state agencies and 30+ youth partners from regions across the state, including healing justice and meditation workshops with the Blackfullness app team
On the Monday following the Youth Futures Summit, California 100 Futures Fellows hand-delivered postcards—including over 400 of visions and dreams for California’s next century— to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senior Advisors to Governor Gavin Newsom.
toolkits & games
Leading Futures Thinking
Over the course of the initiative, California 100 led futures-thinking and creative visioning workshops that reached more than 1,500 young people throughout the state.
A key component of this work included the development and distribution of The Dreamers & Doers Toolkit, a creative and inspiring guide for young people to design and build their own futures manifestos and democratize futures thinking.
youth partners
California 100 built a network and partnered with more than 30 campus-based, youth-serving and youth-led organizations—many already deeply engaged in long-term futures planning and intergenerational visioning work.
