Supporting Our Youth

Our community cares about its youth! And we are concerned that too many are leaving. How do we create a community where children thrive? Where young adults will want to stay and raise their families?

Those at our September 21 event had several ideas about how we might support our youth, advocate for youth, and engage and work with youth.  

One key concern was ensuring affordable activities for youth. Parents pointed out that due to the fees charged, the YMCA and city pools are not affordable for many.  Our youth have many interests, and music, dance, sports, and bilingual programs, as well as an arcade and a Lego Land, were some of the options discussed. What might it take to develop a range of free and affordable activities and events for youth across the city? Who might sponsor a community calendar that parents could easily check?

Another concern was access to activities, with many indicating interest in exploring the possibility of community carpools to help ensure that children and teens could get to and from the activities and events they would like to attend.  Might parents and schools work together on that?  What about neighborhoods or faith communities?

Another need identified was ensuring adequate investment in our public school buildings.  Even this year many schools lack air-conditioning and school buildings need updating and repair. When we don’t invest in our public schools, what message about community does that send to the youth who attend?

The idea of a city-wide youth coalition or a youth corps also came up as people brainstormed about how to engage and work with youth. What might that look like? What programs are already in place that might help with recruitment and training?

Several people also noted the need for more adults to advocate for kids. Can that be you?

As you can see, there is much still to discuss as we think about how to support our youth. We need your voice! Please join us on October 19 as we explore these ideas further.