Three years ago, Springboard started a new program to highlight teen leaders in the Chicago area. Each year 18 Under 18 honoree selection has become increasingly competitive. This year was no different with a record breaking 79 different teens nominated for the award. After careful consideration, the final 18 were selected.
Springboard is proud to announce the 2019 18 Under 18 Honorees:
Dina Barrish
Sarah Bloom
Ella Brown
Raquel Cohen
Sophie Draluck
Sophie Frankenthal
Joshua Zach Glucksman
Ariana Handelman
Shulamit Horton
Rebecca Jacobson
Maxine Kalika
Marc Luban
Emma Rosenberg-Rappin
Andrew Scott
Brian Silverstein
Elitsa Mairav Reinglass Sklar
Jason Tothy
Randi Wilk
The group met for the first time on Wednesday, February 13th for the 18 Under 18 Leadership Event. During the event teens got to know each other and discussed what it means to be a leader. They reflected on their leadership experiences within their specific communities and dove into issues that they are seeing and how they, as leaders, can help address and work towards solving them. The honorees also heard from other community leaders including former 18 Under 18 honoree Sawyer Goldsmith and Marissa Freeman, the Chicago Hub Manager of OneTable. During the panel, the honorees engaged with Marissa and Sawyer, asking critical questions about how to help people find connections within the Jewish community, how to deepen their leadership skills, and how to bridge their Jewish identities with the broader community.
Next, the honorees applied their leadership skills values to their signature projects. The first activity asked the honorees to zero in on crucial Jewish values that relate to different aspects of being a Jewish teenager. The teens were asked which values related to the challenges they want to tackle in their communities and how they can use these values to inform their work. The second activity utilized the metaphor of a peer led hike to help the honorees identify their unique leadership styles. Through meaningful content driven discussion, the honorees then unpacked their issues and clarified how their individual skills best serve their issue. In addition, the teen considered at how their communities can best support them.
The evening was filled with enthusiasm and passion. Over the next few weeks, the honorees will work on addressing their issues and will present their progress at the 18 Under 18 Community Event on April 10 at the Botanical Gardens. The evening will include a dessert reception, live music and more! We hope you will join us on April 10. You can get your tickets here.