When young people are given the space, tools and trust to share their stories, something powerful happens. Their voices not only reflect the realities of their communities, but they also begin to shape them. At NC State, that belief is at the heart of #PassTheMicYouth — and it is the reason the program has been recognized with one of the university’s highest honors for engaged scholarship.

#PassTheMicYouth has received the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award from the NC State Office of Outreach and Engagement. This annual recognition celebrates teams whose work exemplifies excellence in engaged scholarship through collaborative, democratic partnerships grounded in the Kellogg Commission’s Seven-Part Test of Engagement.

The award recognizes programs that demonstrate authentic teamwork across university and community structures while creating meaningful, mutually beneficial impact. For #PassTheMicYouth, that impact begins with a simple but transformative idea: young people are not just participants in their communities — they are leaders, storytellers and changemakers.

Co-led by Maru Gonzalez, associate professor within the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences (AHS) who also serves as the project’s PI, and Christy Byrd, associate professor within the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Science, #PassTheMicYouth is a multimedia Extension program designed to amplify youth voices and elevate youth-led civic engagement. Katie McKee, associate professor within the AHS Department, also serves as a curriculum consultant, along with Michael Kokozos of the University of Pennsylvania. Through storytelling, leadership development and community collaboration, the program equips young people with the skills and confidence to advocate for themselves and their communities.

Its initiatives include a National 4-H grant-funded project, Youth Voices into Action: Teens Teaching Storytelling for Civic Engagement, as well as social impact storytelling camps, workshops and practitioner trainings. Each year, Gonzalez and Byrd also organize a TEDxYouth event and a Youth Advocacy Summit alongside community partners and graduate students, creating platforms where youth perspectives are not only heard but centered.

What sets #PassTheMicYouth apart is its deeply collaborative model. The program works in partnership with organizations including Wake County 4-H, Alliance Health, Raleigh Parks and Recreation, NC Cooperative Extension and the Town of Cary, among others. Together, these partnerships create a network of support that extends across North Carolina and beyond.

#PassTheMicYouth also advances NC State’s land-grant mission by bridging research and practice, fostering a culture of engagement and strengthening the university’s capacity to make a lasting difference. By investing in youth leadership and storytelling, the program ensures its impact continues long after each workshop, summit or event concludes.

“At its core, #PassTheMicYouth is about lifting young people’s voices and helping them recognize the full extent of their power and potential,” said Gonzalez. “Of course, this work is never done in isolation and we are truly honored to receive this recognition alongside our collaborators and community partners. We are especially indebted to the young people whose creativity, vision, and unwavering commitment to a more just and compassionate world inspire us all to do better and be better. This award is for them.”

That sentiment reflects the true spirit of the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award: work that is not only impactful, but shared — built through trust, collaboration and a commitment to community-driven change.