Sunshine State, here we come! For his first ClubX Blog post, Dr. LePra George, BGCA’s Director of Teen Experiences and KEYSTONE KING, shares reflections from the Keystone Conference planning process.
As someone whose life was shaped by the Boys & Girls Club, I often think about the experiences that stayed with me long after I left the building. They weren’t always the biggest moments. Often, they were the conversations, the encouragement from a caring adult, or the opportunity to try something new.
That’s exactly what we hope the 2026 National Keystone Conference becomes for every teen and advisors joining us in Orlando this summer. When we listen to young people, trust them with leadership, and create spaces where they can grow, incredible things happen. They don’t just participate in the future, they begin creating it.
That’s one of the reasons the National Keystone Conference is so special. It isn’t a conference designed for teens. It’s designed with teens. Our National Keystone Conference Steering Committee spent months helping shape the experience, sharing their perspectives, challenging our assumptions, and making sure the conference reflects what young people actually care about.
If you are not familiar with the Keystone Club program, it is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier teen leadership program for young people ages 14 to 18. Through Keystone, teens develop leadership skills, serve their communities, prepare for college and careers, and discover the power of using their voices. Each summer, Keystoners from across the country come together at the National Keystone Conference to learn, connect, grow, and, of course, have a lot of fun.
This year’s conference theme, “Move the Tide. Raise the Temp.” is a reminder that leadership isn’t about waiting for someone else to create change. It’s about recognizing your ability to influence the people and communities around you today.
As we listened to teens throughout the planning process, several conversations continued to surface. While every young person’s story is different, five topics consistently rose to the top.
Building Confidence
Today’s teens are growing up in a world of constant comparison, expectations, and pressure to have everything figured out. They want opportunities to better understand who they are, become more comfortable in their own skin, and develop the confidence to show up authentically.
At NKC26, teens will have opportunities to strengthen their confidence through leadership experiences, workshops, and our new Confidence Lab. We’ll have a Super Session about Building Networks taught by professional improv comics, teaching the skills of curiosity and open-mindedness when interacting with others. We’ll also have breakout sessions on Communication and Confidence, Mental Wellness, and Ethical Leadership.
The goal isn’t to tell teens who they should become. It’s to help them recognize the strengths they already have and give them opportunities to use them.
Preparing for the Future
Teens are thinking about what comes next and they have questions. College? Career? Entrepreneurship? Skilled trades? What will the future of work look like?
Today’s young people want more than a single definition of success. They want exposure to possibilities and practical opportunities to explore what fits their interests, talents, and goals.
At NKC26, teens will explore pathways, connect with professionals, and gain new perspectives on what their futures can look like. We’ll have a College & Career Expo with academic institutions and employers from around the country. There will be breakout sessions on navigating transitions, financial literacy, and more.
Because preparing teens for the future shouldn’t be about giving them one road map. It should be about helping them see how many roads are possible.
Finding Their Voice
Teens want to be heard, but more importantly, they want their ideas to matter.
Youth voice has always been at the heart of Keystone, and it is woven throughout the National Keystone Conference. Teens help plan the experience, lead from the stage, facilitate conversations, share their perspectives, and challenge us to think differently. We’ll have Arts Experience pop-ups throughout the conference space to encourage creativity. A new interactive mystery session will guide teens through an exploration of their personal identity. And we’ll be running focus groups throughout the weekend so that we can dig in deep to what teens are thinking and feeling.
When young people are given meaningful opportunities to use their voices, they don’t just contribute to the conversation. They can change it.
Building Meaningful Relationships
Today’s teens may be more digitally connected than any generation before them, but that doesn’t always translate into meaningful connection. Teens continue to value spaces where they can build genuine friendships, meet people with different experiences, and connect with adults who believe in them. The National Keystone Conference brings together Keystoners from across the country and creates something difficult to replicate: the opportunity to realize that wherever you come from, you are part of something bigger.
We’ll spend a TON of time at NKC having fun together. Every night, the Games Room will be open with karaoke, dance challenges, e-sports, hands-on games and activities, and this year we are introducing a conversation zone designed to vibe with new friends.
For many teens, the relationships built at Keystone become some of the most memorable parts of the experience.
Creating Positive Change
Perhaps the biggest theme we heard this year was that teens want to make an impact. They care deeply about their schools, neighborhoods, and communities. They don’t just want to talk about challenges. They want opportunities to solve them.
In past years, community service was one choice among many. This year, the Steering Committee said this is THE priority. On Saturday, all approximately 1,000 teens will participate in a Community Service Experience with Volunteer Orlando, engaging in hands-on projects that support at-risk children and families. Their projects will address critical needs related to poverty, education, and well-being.
Service, leadership, collaboration, and community impact remain at the heart of Keystone because today’s teens are ready to lead now, not someday. And maybe that’s the most important reminder for all of us.
The experiences we create for young people today can stay with them long after they leave the Club, the conference, or even our programs. I know that because I’ve lived it. This summer, more than 1,300 teens, advisors, and Club professionals will come together in Orlando. Our job is to create space. Their job? Move the Tide. Raise the Temp!
Here’s to another unforgettable National Keystone Conference!
What are the issues the teens in your Club care about? How do you authentically cultivate youth voice? We want to know! Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org.
About LePra George
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