#PassTheMicYouth has been recognized with the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award, an honor that reflects years of collaborative, youth-centered work to elevate young people as leaders, storytellers, and changemakers.
Launched in 2019 by Christy Byrd and Maru Gonzalez, #PassTheMicYouth is a multimedia Extension program that amplifies the voices and experiences of young people, highlights youth-led civic and community engagement, and provides educators and youth-serving professionals with tools for teaching social impact storytelling. Rooted in a Critical Positive Youth Development (CPYD) framework, the program is designed to foster leadership capacity, strengthen self-efficacy, and support youth in driving meaningful change in their communities.
“This award is a validation of years of work where we center young people as leaders, not just participants,” Byrd shared. “I’m also really proud of the young people who have inspired and collaborated with us over the years.”
What the Award Recognizes
The Opal Mann Green Award honors outstanding Extension and engagement work that meaningfully connects university scholarship with communities. #PassTheMicYouth exemplifies this mission by bridging research and practice—using evidence-based approaches to storytelling while working directly alongside youth, schools, and community partners across North Carolina.
A Program Built on Youth Voice and Action
#PassTheMicYouth engages young people through a range of programs and partnerships that emphasize storytelling as a tool for social change:
- Storytelling Workshops & Showcases provide youth with opportunities to craft and share their stories on public platforms, building confidence and amplifying their perspectives.
- Pass the Mic Camp, a week-long summer experience, empowers teens to explore leadership, connect with peers, and create social impact stories using mediums like spoken word, podcasting, and visual art.
- Youth Advocacy Summit, held in partnership with Wake County 4-H and the Town of Cary, brings together youth from across the Triangle to develop skills for civic engagement and community leadership.
- Amplifying Youth Voices Curriculum (launching in 2025) offers a 20-lesson, youth-centered framework for teaching storytelling as a pathway to social impact.
- School and Community Partnerships allow the program to bring storytelling directly into classrooms, after-school programs, and community organizations, adapting content to meet local needs.
- Professional Development Workshops equip educators and youth professionals with strategies to foster youth voice, critical thinking, and engagement.
Together, these efforts create a comprehensive ecosystem where young people are supported in developing their voices and using them to influence their communities.
Evidence of Impact
Evaluation data show that participation in #PassTheMicYouth leads to increased peer connection, deeper understanding of community issues, and stronger belief in one’s ability to make a difference.
One powerful example comes from a youth speaker at a storytelling showcase who later advocated for accessibility improvements in her school. She worked with school and district leaders to address barriers for students with visual impairments and later served as a keynote speaker at the 2025 Raleigh Global Accessibility and Awareness Day.
Stories like this illustrate what the award recognizes: not just programming, but real, youth-driven impact.
Looking Ahead
As #PassTheMicYouth celebrates this recognition, the work continues. Byrd and Gonzalez will once again join forces with community partners on May 2nd to host TEDxChavisWay Youth event on May 2 and partner with Wake County 4-H for its upcoming Youth Voices into Action summer camp. Byrd, Gonzalez, and curriculum consultant Michael Kokozos are also developing a new book, The Community Engaged Classroom, slated for publication in 2027.
The Opal Mann Green Award affirms what #PassTheMicYouth has demonstrated since its founding: when young people are given the tools, platform, and support to share their stories, they don’t just find their voice—they use it to lead.
