New Youth Center Opening Soon

Written by Youth Team

In 2019, the City and County of Denver convened a Youth Violence Prevention Action Table to develop a comprehensive youth violence prevention plan for Denver They communicated with city, state, federal and community organizations that support youth violence prevention efforts to identify strategies that will help prevent youth violence One of the strategies to address this issue was the Youth Center. The following interview was with Denver City Attorney Kristin Bronson and Pat Hedrick, Director of Denver Public Safety Youth Programs They talk about the new and upcoming Youth Center that is opening in the near future in the Valverde neighborhood

1. What do you see the focus and priority of the building

1 What do you see the focus and priority of the building being? being? How are people informed about it and helped to How are people informed about it and helped become an involved piece of it? What else can we do to play a become an involved piece of it? What else we do play a role in the transition? role in the transition?

“We want to create opportunities to connect young people, and families, to a range of services to support positive youth development Our vision is to have programs that could range from summer youth employment activities to youth workforce development, apprenticeship, financial empowerment classes, recreational opportunities, mentorship, and how to access resources for mental and behavioral support We are excited to engage with the community in how this new center can uplift youth and create opportunities for the neighborhood It will involve a lot of outreach and conversation with the community. Elevated youth voices are needed to decide what is most effective and useful in this space," Kristin answered.

3. Will they have services provided to what the youth needs, and

3. Will they have services provided to what the youth needs, and will this center only be for youth? What is their long-term goal after will this center only be for youth? What is their long-term goal after opening the center? opening the center?

Youth voice is critical to creating a space that young people will actually visit. The Youth Advisory Council will not only share their own views on what resources should be available at the Youth Center, but will also engage other youth to ensure different viewpoints are including in the discussion The Youth Center will primarily be for young people but we envision there will also be services for families In addition to the direct involvement of youth, the City will also engage community members and community organizations that provide services to young people. The long term goal is for the Youth Center to be the go-to place for youth in SW Denver to connect to resources and people who care about their development Another long-term goal is to create a network of Youth Centers across the city to improve access to services and resources for all youth

4 4. Will there be therapy or mental health support groups for Will there be therapy or mental health support groups for youth? Will they receive support or tutoring for the online school youth? Will they receive support or tutoring for the online school year? year?

Mental and behavioral health has been identified by young people as a top need in many communities including SW Denver. If these services are identified by young people and the community as a top priority, access to these services will be identified as a programming priority The center is a physical space with a historically underserved population and a hot zone for youth violence, which makes the youth center a unique opportunity for organizations that are providing these resources to enhance access to the same resources they are already trying to provide.

2 How do you plan on making an environment that makes

2. How do you plan on making an environment that makes youth feel safe, no matter their race, gender, sexuality, etc? youth feel safe, no matter their gender, sexuality, etc?

To help create a space that is welcoming to all youth, we have partnered with the Office of the Independent Monitor to seat a Youth Advisory Board who will work with city leaders and the community to identify programming that will be available as well as steps the City can take to ensure everyone feels safe in that space Another way to make the Youth Center a safe space is to ensure every partner involved values inclusivity and equity to ensure the Youth Center is a safe space for all youth. Bringing in community, especially youth, is necessary to get their ideas regarding creating a safe space for all youth