Youth Voices: Celebrating Our Youth Action Team
Last week at our June All-Member Meeting, Coalition members got to hear from our Youth Action Team (YAT) as they presented the findings of their youth-led research project on increasing park safety, welcomeness, and accessibility for youth of color living in South King County.
We are so proud of the work they've done!
Over the past several months, students built research skills including designing their own research tools, gathering data and stories from their communities, synthesizing the data, and sharing policy, systems, and environmental change recommendations to a room full of adults.
Their leadership skills and relationship-building were strengthened through:
Workshops with RISE on power, privilege, and race, paired with sessions from the UW Center for Leadership in Athletics on research methods
Meetings focused on systems, policy, and environmental change and why youth voice is essential to systems change
Team bonding activities co-led by the youth
Getting to know each other over shared dinner including the highly requested Dave's Hot Chicken particularly their spiciest version called "The Reaper" (we got Dave's Hot Chicken, just not the version that comes with a waiver)
Their surveys and youth focus groups surfaced three of the biggest barriers keeping young people from their local parks: not feeling safe, limited access for people with disabilities, and a lack of engaging activities like exercise equipment. From there, youth offered concrete recommendations from extending lighting hours and updating old equipment to expanding adaptive sports programs and creating established youth leadership seats in park planning decisions. In response, the adults at the meeting collectively brainstormed ways they could support and advance the youth's recommendations.
Next steps: the Coalition will take these recommendations and potential solutions and turn them into action we can carry forward together.
Thank you to our YAT for their hard work and incredible leadership!
