Northern Kentucky University welcomed 131 high school students from Kentucky and Ohio to campus on for Magnified Giving’s 2026 Youth Leadership & Service Conference earlier this month.
Students from 12 schools spent the day at NKU’s Votruba Student Union taking part in service projects and breakout sessions alongside 20 local nonprofits.
Dr. Ryan Padgett, NKU’s associate provost for strategic enrollment planning and student success, opened the day by welcoming students to campus.
The conference was made possible by the Mayerson Foundation and NKU, and its roots run through the university. Magnified Giving founder Roger Grein was inspired to start the organization after learning about NKU’s student philanthropy program sponsored by the Mayerson Foundation.
Keynote speaker Camryn Morrow, a Magnified Giving alumna and first-generation college graduate who went on to earn her master’s degree from Harvard, encouraged students to take chances while they were on campus. “Go to the breakouts. Talk to the nonprofits at the volunteer fair. Sign up for something that scares you a little,” Morrow said.
Students later voted to award a $250 grant to suicide prevention nonprofit 1N5 and presented the check in person at lunch. In a post-event survey, 93.5% of respondents said the conference helped them understand how they can make a difference in their community.
Magnified Giving