12/06/07

Teens need to be involved

by Beckye Randall

Teenagers often feel they have no voice within their community, that their needs are ignored by those in charge. The disenfranchisement of youth is a long-standing societal issue, and today’s kids are not that different from those of generations past.

In my day, the hippie movement encouraged young adults to “tune in, turn on and drop out,” and too many community resources—and brilliant minds--were lost to that ideology.

When my own sons were teenagers, they were forced to participate in something bigger than themselves because of our family’s involvement in the restoration of the historic Everett Theatre. With my husband and I spending most of our off-work time at the theatre, the kids were brought along to help, whether they wanted to or not. In the early days they grudgingly scrubbed toilets, hauled debris, and swept floors. They spent hours folding newsletters, applying address labels and sorting pieces by zip codes.

Of course, they had fun too. They helped plan and participate in three years of haunted houses, spent some time on stage in plays the group produced, and decorated the lovely old theatre for holidays. They learned to run the concession stand, serve as ushers, build sets and rig stage lights.

Throughout all the fun and the misery, our kids—and all the teenagers who volunteered at the theatre over the years—knew they were part of something bigger. Restoring the old theatre, a place filled with so many memories for so many people, was a gift to the community. Their efforts mattered, and their opinions were valued.

I recently attended an afternoon meeting of the Marysville Youth Action Network (MYAN), a loose-knit coalition of teens and support organizations that are “dedicated to youth voice and youth engagement in our community.” The network is the brainchild of Jim Strickland, a middle school teacher, who understands the power inherent in teen spirit.

By empowering the kids to determine their own areas of interest, then helping them forge the connections necessary to make their ideas happen, Strickland is teaching a valuable civics lesson to our future community leaders.

MYAN current projects include the establishment of a BMX bike park, setting up a youth coffee house, teaching and performing break dancing, and starting a teen radio program at KSER, the local public radio outlet.

Teenagers who are plugged into their community in a meaningful way contribute to everyone’s quality of life. I may never visit a BMX bike park, but its existence could keep our teenagers involved in a healthy activity instead of roaming the streets looking for places to “tag.”

Kudos to Jim Strickland, Marjorie Serge and all the other adults who have found a way to give Marysville teenagers a viable voice in our community.