Danielson presents at White House summit for youth policy
Feb. 13 event was opportunity for young leaders to share views with advocates and policymakers about equity, change.Media Contact: Susan Gregg - 206-390-3226, sghanson@uw.edu
Dr. Benjamin Danielson, a clinical professor of pediatrics at UW Medicine, was among presenters Feb. 13 at the first Youth Policy Summit, an event at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Hosted by Education Secretary Alex Cordona, the event was organized to promote youth well-being, purpose, identity, belonging and leadership. It drew 90 invitees — adults and teens — from around the nation. Federal policymakers and influencers heard young leaders’ input about how to improve policies and programs so that youths in U.S. communities can more equitably share opportunities to thrive.
“I’m deeply grateful for the wisdom shared by our young leaders. I also bear witness to the commitment our government representatives made to assure that brilliant youth voices is followed with tangible action,” said Danielson. He presented in a session focused on justice systems, programs and policies grounded in equity.
Danielson leads a social program, based in UW Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, whose aim is to address youth incarceration by promoting paths to opportunity and policy changes centered on the well-being of children, especially youth of color.
“Many solutions are in practice around us, needing only to be amplified and spread,” he said. “Ideas are constantly being shared by our youth, needing only to be heeded by us all.”
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