New College of Florida cohosted a Summer summit with Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County to bolster support for the youth in Southwest Florida.
The New College Career Center was the focal point for the 2026 Teen Summit last week. The event drew more than 100 teens from the Gulf Coast to the campus for the educational experience. The Summit’s theme was Transforming Under Fire and Flourishing (TUFF) and was designed to provide professional, logistical and other skills to prepare them for adulthood.
John Agnelli, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County, said the TUFF approach gives young people a leg up.
“New College of Florida has demonstrated a meaningful commitment to serving the local community by opening its campus, sharing its expertise, and investing in partnerships that expand opportunities for children and families,” Agnelli said.
The TUFF program included key activities. The main approach in breakout sessions was to instill essential life skills that focus on conflict resolution while navigating dating and relationships in the current financial climate.
The Summit also instituted campus immersion on the New College campus where students are encouraged to “design your own future.” Those activities involved challenging students to create their own custom college degrees. They map out their ideal curriculum based on their personal passions and also engaged in a scavenger hunt on the campus.
The New College staff involved in the event also wanted to create an atmosphere of belonging. A news release said they coordinated an atmosphere of belonging on the campus and aimed to provide a sense of inclusion at the school for attendees who were at the college for the first time.
Agnelli gave particular credit to the Career Center leadership team of Mitchel Ruzek and Tracy Papp, who helped organize the event.
“It was, without exaggeration, one of the finest examples of community collaboration I have witnessed in my career,” Agnelli said. “Dr. Mitch Ruzek’s support of this collaboration reflects the college’s commitment to community engagement and to creating impact beyond the classroom, alongside its tradition of academic excellence.”
