Take the lead: don't miss Youth 2 Leaders, coming to a city near you. (you're the boss).

Teens who want to start and run businesses need leadership skills. If you're a budding entrepreneur, you won't want to miss the chance to develop your skills at The Youth to Leaders (Y2L) National Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C., in August.

"The goal of Y2L is to identify the next generation of leaders and [to] provide an opportunity for them to meet each other at an early age," says Andrea Foggy-Paxton, executive director of the Tavis Smiley Foundation.

Y2L is the heart of the Tavis Smiley Foundation, which encourages, empowers, and educates youth on how to improve their lives and their communities. The foundation recognizes the need for African American youth to emerge as leaders.

Y2L, which was launched in 2000, has held one-day conferences in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. At the conferences, approximately 100 students, ages 13 to 18, and their parents discuss concerns in the African American community and present solutions to these problems.

Conferences begin with an opening session with author and commentator Tavis Smiley and an elected official. Together, they provide an overview of the political system, making it easier for participants to become involved in community activism. Each participant is then assigned to a team based on the information they fill out on their application. A portion of the application requires that participants identify an issue that is important to them, such as education, war, or the media.

At the conference, participants are placed into teams with students who have similar concerns. "It gives students the opportunity to talk to other black youth who can identify [with] certain issues. This becomes an empowering experience that helps students discover great solutions," says Foggy-Paxton. Issue teams spend a portion of the day discussing their topic, developing a plan of action to address it, and creating a presentation to educate their fellow students. The conference is broadcast on local radio and television and is Webcast on www.youthto leaders.org.

It may seem like a long day, 12 hours to be exact, but there's plenty of time for fun. The Tavis Smiley Foundation provides free breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as performances by recording artists and appearances by celebrities. Past conference speakers have included Nick Cannon of "The Nick Cannon Show," Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., poet Sonia Sanchez, NBA star Charlie Ward, and entertainer KRS-1.

If you're not totally convinced that Y2L is for you, Nicole Figueroa would like to convince you otherwise: "The day before a Y2L conference, a friend begged me to register for the event. When I got home the next evening, I knew it was the best decision I had made in high school."

As class president and youth coordinator for community service events, Nicole always possessed leadership qualities, but she never had the opportunity to meet teens who shared her drive. "Sometimes you think there's nobody like you, and you can't get anything done," she explains. "But then you go to one of these conferences and you meet people who want the same things. When this happens, you're inspired to make something happen for yourself and the rest of the community."

Nicole was able to share what she learned at Y2L with her classmates, who now think that community involvement is cool. Foggy-Paxton wants prospective Y2L participants to know that, like Nicole, "You should realize that it's OK to be black and smart. [You] don't have to dumb yourself down to fit in with others. Take some initiative and be a leader."

Since participating in the Los Angeles conference, Nicole has been a Teen Town Hall panelist in Oakland, California, and is now a member of the National Youth Summit Planning Committee. Along with 20 other Y2L alumni from across the country, Nicole is planning the National Youth Leadership Summit, "Redefining the Image: Developing African American Youth for Leadership."

The first National Youth Leadership Summit will take place Aug. 7-12, 2003, at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The five-day summit will feature an overview of the political process, the opportunity to dialogue with community leaders, advocacy and outreach training, career and education planning, and a tour of the White House and other historic places. Additionally, there will be a college career expo, entertainment, opportunities to network, teen town halls, and a national press conference where a national of African American youth will be unveiled. At the end of the summit, participants will launch a national agenda to improve their lives, their communities, and their world.

If you're interested in the National Youth Leadership Summit, write to: National Youth Leadership Summit 3870 Crenshaw Blvd., #391 PMB, Los Angeles, CA 90008. Be sure to send a registration form, downloaded from the Website, www.youthtoleaders .org, and a 250 word essay on one of three topics: an issue that is important to you, your leadership experience, or the person who has most influenced your life. The program offers a limited number of scholarships and provides fundraising kits to help you raise money to attend. You can get more information by calling 323-290-1888.

If you can't make it to of these events during the summer, contact the foundation to learn about some of Y2L's year-round activities. Whatever you decide to hurry up and get started. The world needs your leadership skills!