Teens attend BBYO International Convention (IC) for many reasons including forming new friendships, rekindling old ones, and learning leadership skills and how to take charge Regardless of the varying expectations Alephs and BBGs share for this convention they come home with unique stories and experiences. Everything from the culture to the programs would be impossible without months of tedious planning.

Numerous opportunities are presented to any teen interested in taking a leadership position. Because of this fact, the IC steering team is huge. This may seem overwhelming at first but it is broken down into smaller sections including areas like Kabbalat Shabbat, LEADS Day, Interactives, and more. There is something there for everyone.

While I participated in my first IC this year, I was presented with the opportunity to take on some of these leadership roles. Within minutes following my arrival, it was time to get to work. I dropped off my bags and started. One of my specific roles during IC was on Press Corps. As an example of the kinds of things I was working on throughout the weekend—I documented Russian dancing, milkshakes, and painting in the J-Lab. All of this footage was posted on BBYO’s Instagram. In order to be trusted with a social media account that would be veiwed by thousands of people I had to learn about how to manage it. 

Serving in a leadership role behind-the-scenes at IC is fun and involves many more experiences like the one I just mentioned. These roles are great opportunities for real-world skills after our time ends in AZA or BBG. I encourage everyone to try out a role helping with IC—I promise you’ll have fun and learn something new.