Atlanta’s next generation of leaders took center stage Thursday as participants in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) celebrated the completion of the Time2Give Living Legacy Showcase, a five-week experience that challenged students to think creatively, build new skills and prepare for careers of the future.
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Held at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the showcase featured presentations from students ages 14 to 17 who spent the summer exploring emerging technology, entrepreneurship, product development and digital storytelling.
Mayor Andre Dickens joined students, families and community partners to recognize their accomplishments and encourage them to continue building on what they learned.
More Than a Summer Job
The showcase marked the culmination of a program that went far beyond traditional summer employment.
Students worked together on innovation projects, developed capstone presentations and gained hands-on experience in fields shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
“I know this was so much more than a summer job,” Mayor Dickens told the students. “You got hands-on experience with careers that did not exist when I was your age. You got a glimpse of some of the industries that are shaping the future.”
More importantly, he said, the experience helped students see that they have a place in that future.
Honoring a Living Legacy
The event also honored Andrew Young and Carolyn Young, whose decades of service and leadership continue to inspire young Atlantans.
Mayor Dickens told students that sharing the stage with leaders like the Youngs was an opportunity to see firsthand what lasting leadership looks like.
“The same city that Ambassador Young helped shape,” the mayor said, “is an Atlanta where every generation gets to make their mark.”
Investing in Atlanta’s Youth
The Time2Give showcase is one example of the City’s broader investment in youth through the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
Since taking office, the Dickens Administration has connected nearly 20,000 young people with paid work experiences during the mayor’s first term, with thousands more participating this summer.
The mayor also recognized the leadership behind the program, including Theresa Austin-Gibbons, Community Engagement Director Joy Marshall and the Time2Give team led by Charity Rowe-Marshall.
Looking Ahead
Mayor Dickens closed with a challenge for every student in the room.
“Keep showing up like you belong in every room,” he said. “Because you do.”
He encouraged students to carry the skills, relationships and confidence they developed this summer into school, future careers and their communities.
As Atlanta continues investing in opportunities for young people, programs like SYEP are helping prepare the city’s future workforce—not just by providing summer jobs, but by giving students the tools to help shape Atlanta’s next chapter.
