ROCKY MOUNT, N.C., August 15, 2025—Goal setting and a positive mindset are among the tools essential for success in life, dozens of high school students were told as part of the Youth STEAM Summit held at the Rocky Mount Event Center. In remarks that preceded an interactive workshop with the students, keynote speaker Dr. Kenston J. Griffin, the chief executive officer of Dream Builders Communication Inc. in Huntersville, N.C., challenged them to “embark a journey of self-discovery, recognize your unique gifts, talents and differences, and learn the best practices for leading rather than following.”
The STEM-focused conference also provided the students the opportunity to experience mobile labs from North Carolina A&T State University and the University of Mount Olive, and to network with exhibitors that included forestry companies, the Center for Energy Education and state and federal farming and natural resource agencies. The conference, held on August 7th, was hosted by Roanoke Cooperative’s nonprofit Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project (SFLRP).
The conference is held to better acquaint young people with science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math, including career opportunities in these fields. Including parents, the summit drew more than 100 attendees from throughout eastern North Carolina.
“We greatly appreciate the participation of all those involved at this year’s STEAM Summit,” said Reba Green-Holley, SFLRP’s youth program coordinator. “Throughout the day, the students were highly engaged and asked a lot of really good questions. The feedback we got showed that the conference increased students’ interest in pursuing STEM careers and raised their awareness of career opportunities. That’s a great outcome.”
This year’s conference was sponsored by CoBank, Enviva, NC Electric Cooperatives, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Roanoke Cooperative and SFLRP. The Land Retention Project was established in 2013 to help North Carolina families – primarily but not exclusively African American – increase the income and asset value of their forestland. The program also encourages forest health, land retention and the opportunity for families to create intergenerational wealth. Those interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to visit its website at: www.recforestry.org.
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