Our Future, Our Voice

Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), California State PTA (CAPTA), and Youth Leadership Institute (yli) will co-host a youth-led gubernatorial forum on April 30, 2026 at the Fresno Convention Center.

The evening will begin with a Civic Engagement Festival (4:00–5:30 pm) followed by the youth-led gubernatorial forum (5:30–7:00 pm). Together, these components will create a dynamic, youth-centered civic experience that elevates youth voice while directly connecting participants to pathways for ongoing democratic participation. Gubernatorial candidate and California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has confirmed participation.

In partnership with Capital Public Radio (CapRadio) as the statewide media partner and the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative (CVJC) as the local news partner, this event will amplify youth perspectives and youth-driven policy discussions to audiences across California. The forum’s broadcast partner is KVPR (NPR), and it will be livestreamed by CMAC via their YouTube channel. N+ Univision will also livestream the forum via their YouTube channel and Facebook page.
 

Core Vision

This forum will model what meaningful youth participation in democracy can look like by:

• Bringing candidates for Governor into direct dialogue with young people
• Positioning youth as architects and facilitators of a major statewide civic convening
• Creating accessible opportunities for civic learning, engagement, and action
• Sustaining youth-centered policy narratives throughout the 2026 election cycle

Civic Engagement Festival

Prior to the forum, yli will host a Civic Engagement Festival designed to activate participants and create an inviting entry point into the democratic process.

The festival will feature:

• Tabling by community-based organizations and civic engagement groups
• Voter registration and education opportunities
• Youth-led outreach and storytelling activities
• Informational resources on key policy issues impacting young people
• Food and community-building space to foster connection and participation

This component will help ensure that attendees, particularly first-time participants in civic events, can move from awareness to action and deepen their engagement beyond the forum itself.

Forum Format & Nonpartisan Structure

This is a nonpartisan civic forum and not a debate. The event will center youth perspectives on the issues most important to Californians and provide candidates for Governor with an opportunity to engage directly and substantively with PTA members, educators, researchers, young people, and audiences across California.

The forum will follow a structured format to ensure fairness, accessibility, and meaningful dialogue:

• All participating candidates will be provided equal speaking time and equal opportunity to respond to questions.
• Questions will be developed and selected by youth leaders through statewide outreach and surveys with additional questions from CAPTA and PACE.
• Candidates will respond individually to youth-posed questions rather than engage in candidate-to-candidate exchanges.
• The forum will be tightly co-moderated by a youth leader and a professional journalist to maintain focus on the issues and ensure candidates are engaging substantively.
• Moderation will prioritize clarity and accountability by encouraging direct responses and limiting the use of generalized talking points, attacks on other candidates, or nonresponsive answers.

This format is intended to model a constructive civic dialogue that centers lived experience, elevates policy substance, and demonstrates how democratic participation can be both rigorous and respectful.

Prohibited Items:

• Weapons, explosives, or fireworks
• Poles, bats, clubs, or sticks (including no selfie sticks) 
• Large or pointed umbrellas 
• Laser products (i.e., laser pointers, pens, or lights) 
• Illegal and illicit substances of any kind 
• Drones or any other remote flying device 
• Outside food or beverage, including alcohol of any kind 
• Bottles or cans (NO aerosol products of any kind) 
• Large, spiked jewelry or wallet chains 
• Glass containers of any kind 
• Duffle bags, large bags or sealed packages* 
• Air horns, bells, bullhorns, or other noisemakers 
• Any and all nonmedia professional audio recording and video equipment. No unregistered video recording will be allowed 
• Any and all unregistered, nonmedia professional camera equipment (for example, NO large detachable zoom lenses, stands, monopods, tripods, or flashes) 
• Pets (service animals are welcome!)
• Professional radios or walkie-talkies
• Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, carts, or any personal motorized vehicles 
• Unauthorized solicitation materials including handbills, flyers, stickers, beach balls, giveaways, samples, etc.
• Unauthorized signs, posters, or printed materials
• Any other item we believe to be dangerous, unsafe, or disruptive to the event

* Exceptions made for childcare items, meeting staff, or other critical items to be reviewed at the point of entrance. All luggage should be checked with your hotel and left there.

Free and open to the public. You must register to attend the event. Seats are first-come, first-served.

For more information, contact [email protected].