‘Power of Voice’ conference aims to empower more than 200 young newcomers

The 'Power of Voice' conference takes place this weekend for grades 7-12, designed to let them know they're not alone.

The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth will host the Power of Voice conference Feb. 22 at the Central Library.

The one-day event is targeted at Calgary students in grades 7-12.

“They will see guest speakers who are inspirational and who can be role models for them,” said Umida Sobirova, team leader for the foundation.

The theme of the conference this year is “Power in Authenticity: Dare to Be You!”

Sobirova says students will hear from guest speakers who have gone through challenges in finding themselves and sharing those challenges and struggles with the youth.

“From mental-health research, we understand the biggest challenge is for youth to be able to find that sense of belonging and sense of connection,” she said.

“Even though it’s a one-day conference, we hope the impact will be lasting and the friendships they build and learnings they take away will continue to inspire them.”

Eamon Saldana, 20, attended his first conference online during the pandemic.

He says the conferences had a big impact on his life after he arrived in Calgary from the Philippines.

“I get to know new people and a new culture,” he said.

“At first, it was rocky; everyone was shy. But it was exciting, and I saw it as, ‘Oh great, I get to make new friends now, not enemies where I need to please others because that’s just kind of a culture that I came from, and so now I get to do a clean slate.”

Saldana is now a school program facilitator through the foundation.

He says the conferences empowered him to use his voice to make change in his community.

“There was so much racism toward Asian people that I searched for anti-racism opportunities, and I started joining conversations about anti-racism,” he said.

“After that, I felt so rewarded because I felt my voice was heard, and later on (I was part of) the City of Calgary’s anti-racism group. I was the only person of colour in the room. It was interesting because now they’re like, ‘Hey, because you’re the only youth in the room, can we ask your advice because we don’t know what to do next,” and it was inspiring."

Marwa Naseri, 20, moved to Calgary from Afghanistan in 2022.

She says those first weeks in a new city were scary, and she found it difficult to talk to her peers.

“I have faced challenges and so I think I can talk about it, and now I feel more confident than ever I did,” she said.

“But even now, when I first went to university, I was new there; I didn’t have anyone, and it was really hard to go and ask for help, but I tried to do it, and I did.”

Shreeya Vadlamannadi, 16, moved to Calgary from India in November 2024.

Her artwork was chosen to be the poster for the 2025 Power of Voice conference.

Vadlamannadi included a book in her poster because she says kids are the authors of their own stories, and an image of Earth surrounded by stick people lets youth know they’re not alone in their journey.

She’s hopeful the conference will help her find her voice.

“I feel like even now, I’m really quiet,” she said.

“But I think it’s a gradual process. … I’m still in the baby-step process, and maybe one day, I can actually find my voice and completely use it.”

Organizers of the conference say it’s a free event open to all newcomer youth in grades 7-12.

“We hope (the students) come together and they make new friends and they create that sense of community,” Sobirova said.

“We also bring in community resources to our conference, where they can learn about different resources that are available to them and meet (representatives from the) City of Calgary or YMCA programs or firefighters and police and get to know them and get to be introduced to them.”