Fort McCoy youth leaders represent community at national summit in Washington

Two youth leaders from Fort McCoy traveled to Washington, D.C., in July to represent the installation and their community during the Summit for America’s Youth (SAY) — the premier annual youth advocacy event hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Isabella Hilt and Deven DiOssi, the two most recent recipients of the Fort McCoy Youth of the Year honor, joined hundreds of youth leaders from across the country at the national summit. During the event, they will receive leadership training, share their local advocacy efforts, and meet directly with members of Congress to discuss issues affecting young people and the importance of continued support for youth development programs.

The summit reflects the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission to develop the next generation of leaders and changemakers by giving youth opportunities to advocate for issues important to them.

A key component of the summit is BGCA’s Think, Learn and Create Change (TLC) youth advocacy model, which encourages participants to identify issues they are passionate about, research those issues using credible sources, and develop advocacy plans that create positive change within their communities.

“Isabella and Deven are outstanding representatives of Fort McCoy’s Child and Youth Services program,” said Tammie J. Noe, supervisory program specialist with Fort McCoy Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Child and Youth Services. “This was an incredible opportunity for them to showcase the work they’ve been doing in our community while learning how they can make an even greater impact through civic engagement.”

The summit’s activities began with the Changemaker Challenge, where Hilt and DiOssi presented their local community advocacy project to a panel of peers and judges. The presentation highlighted the positive impact of their efforts and demonstrated how youth leadership can help address local challenges.

The following day, the pair traveled to Capitol Hill for a series of meetings with Wisconsin's congressional delegation. Their schedule includes meetings with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Ron Johnson, and Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

During each meeting, Hilt and DiOssi delivered a structured three-minute advocacy presentation they have prepared through Boys & Girls Clubs of America training. Their presentation introduced themselves and Fort McCoy’s youth program, invited each elected official to visit their local club, explained their community advocacy project, and shared personal stories about how youth programs have influenced their lives and why continued investment in youth development is important.

The summit also provided participants with hands-on training in civic engagement, opportunities to explore careers in public service, and the chance to collaborate with fellow youth leaders from across the nation.

The impact of the event has extended beyond the summit itself. During the 2025 Summit for America’s Youth, 340 participants conducted 145 meetings with members of Congress. Shortly afterward, the U.S. Department of Education announced the release of funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, a result that Boys & Girls Clubs of America credited in part to the powerful advocacy and personal stories shared by participating youth.

When they returned to Wisconsin, they brought back new ideas, enhanced advocacy skills, and valuable experience working with national leaders — further strengthening Fort McCoy’s commitment to developing future community leaders.

Fort McCoy’s Child and Youth Services program, operated by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, provides programs and opportunities that help military-connected youth build leadership skills, strengthen resilience, and prepare for future success.

Participation in the Summit for America’s Youth reflects that ongoing commitment by empowering young leaders to serve as advocates for their communities at the local and national levels.

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.” And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and the Fort McCoy Child and Youth Services Program.)