LTWLA's Night of Networking and Seafood Extravaganza: Building Partnerships for Youth Success

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Lead the Way Learning Academy (LTWLA) visited the scenic Water's Edge Park, nestled within the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, for the grand celebration of the 99th Chamber Clambake & Lobster Feast. We seized the opportunity to connect with other local agencies, igniting conversations and making connections with new agencies to partner and expand the scope of services we provide our youth. In addition to networking, true to its name we were served a seafood extravaganza and the chance to bond as a team!

Among the crowd were representatives from several companies we work with, offering a unique opportunity to meet these partners in person. Bridge Credit Union, Kokosing, Tonya Kelly from Empower Our Youth Foundation, Wright Pat Credit Union, and many more influential organizations were present.

Highlights from our coaches from the evening:

Coach T expressed how she enjoyed, “talking to others at the booth about our organization. Making connections with a local credit union, Wright Pat Credit Union, in regards to setting up financial literacy classes for our youth.”

Coach Fred cherished the experience of social networking, stating, “A highlight that I had is the social networking. Being able to share our opportunity with them. A chance to collaborate to give our youth more resources and career exposures. Overall great night to end breaking down a full lobster.”

QA Kayla recounted an inspiring encounter, saying, “Meeting Ms. Tonya Kelly form Empower Our Youth Foundation. Her organization will be taking over our old office space. It was inspiring to hear the impact that the space will have on her organization and what they do for the youth.”

In summary, the evening at the 99th Chamber Clambake & Lobster Feast was more than a delightful seafood banquet; it was a night of forging bonds, establishing partnerships, and reinvigorating our commitment to empowering the youth. LTWLA's presence and connections made that evening a memorable chapter in our journey to create brighter futures for the next generation.