Communities & Youth Need Each Other For A Better Future. In today’s world, getting a young person’s attention can be difficult. Keeping their attention is even more challenging. With social media, school, sports, friendships, relationships, and family, many youths feel like their life is busy enough! Being involved or making a difference in their communities may seem tedious or impossible given everything else they juggle. The mental and emotional commitment can hardly seem worth it.
The truth is, engaging youth within the community is not only beneficial for them, but it is crucial to the community. Some community stakeholders and leaders may assume that young people are just too immature or inexperienced, and therefore have little to bring to the table. But young people are the future of our communities and not engaging and connecting with them is shortsighted. Involving our young people in programs and development gives them a vested interest where they live. And ultimately helps pave a path for a better tomorrow for all of us.
The website Youth.gov offers the perspective that programs developed in “partnership” with youth are more effective in engaging and impacting the community population. And empowering youth to respond to community needs help them become motivated to continue positive changes in their adult lives. Youth should be seen as partners in meaningful community change.
At Berks Teens, we share the belief that youth are a key part of our growth and strengthening of our communities. Their shared knowledge, creativity, and future impact all of us within a community. It’s our young people that remain our focus as we continue to try and create a positive change in social perceptions of sexual education and healthy relationships.
Berks Teens offers many ways that Youth can be involved, gain new skills, and give back to the community. Our training and programs like educating their peers through our Virtual Youth Ambassador program and their collective efforts on social awareness campaigns, enlists youth to create change right where they live.
If you know a young person in Berks County that is interested in participating in our Youth Ambassador program, please contact celines@cocountywellness.org or visit our website at berksteens.org .
Celines Valerio
Manager of Community Engagement for Berks Teens
(Sources: youth.gov/youth-topics/involving-youth-positive-youth-development )
