By Felix Wieczorek
On February 25 and 26 Dodgeville High School and McFarland High School hosted the 2026 Annual Youth Unity Summits for the We Are Many United Against Hate movement.
The all-day conventions gave students from the area an opportunity to learn and share strategies and resources for making active change in their communities and fight against the feelings of hate and division prevalent in modern society.
Platteville, Verona, Mineral Point, Darlington, Dodgeville, Plymouth, Portage, Lake Mills Area, McFarland, and Deerfield High Schools brought students ready to collaborate and learn from adult presenters and each other.
The Summits kept students busy all day, featuring keynote speaker Ms. Erika Gallagher who spoke about applying anger as a catalyst to create change, as well as breakout sessions, school reflections, and a strategic planning session.
Students left the Unity Summit inspired and ready to take action to better their communities and the world. Reflecting on the experience, one student said, “I’ve appreciated the Unity Summit bringing students from different schools together to have real conversations about equity, leadership, and belonging. It’s created a space where we learn from one another, challenge each other’s perspectives, and leave ready to create change in our own communities.”
Another said that “it gave me real ideas I can bring back to my own school, and the motivation to help create a more welcoming environment for everyone. I left the summit truly inspired and ready to take action.”
These Summits provided an invaluable chance for students to connect, learn, and get inspired to forge a path of hope as they move into the world, because as a Platteville senior put it, “the Unity Summit was a powerful reminder that student voices matter.”
