Possible Planning Resource:

• Youth MOVE National: Youth Resource Mapping Guide (PDF)

• Collaborate with local nonprofits, school counselors, or youth-serving organizations.

Tool:

• Canva templates for flyers and outreach

• Search Institute’s Developmental Assets Framework (for identifying key supports)

Why It Matters:
Many youth don’t know what’s available to them. Mental Health America (2021) reports that youth often struggle to access support simply because they aren’t aware of it. Resource fairs make vital tools and programs visible, helping youth feel more connected and supported in their community.

Possible Planning Resource:

• Collaboration with student orgs, civic engagement centers, or local advocacy groups.

• Mikva Challenge: Issues to Action Curriculum – a guide on youth-led advocacy and action.

Tool:

• TED Talk: “The Power of Youth Leadership” by Adora Svitak

• Youth MOVE’s Leadership & Empowerment toolkits

• Online platforms like Eventbrite or Zoom for hybrid/virtual participation

Why It Matters:
When youth have leadership opportunities, they are more likely to feel confident, connected, and capable of making change. According to The Forum for Youth Investment, youth engagement in advocacy builds essential life skills, civic awareness, and motivation to contribute to social change.

Possible Planning Resource:

• Local libraries, YMCAs, or Boys & Girls Clubs often offer space or programming

• Use platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for virtual club creation

Tool:

• TEDx Talk: “Why We Need to Belong” by Owen Suskind (great for staff/youth understanding)

Why It Matters:
The CDC reports that 1 in 3 high school students feel persistently sad or hopeless, often due to isolation. Connection to peers through shared interests, even something simple like a reading club, can significantly boost mental well-being, self-esteem, and emotional resilience.

Idea : Reach out to a self defense class to see if they could hold an open community event for youth to teach them about self defense. Youth can learn about how to use pepper spray, how to get away from a predator , what the local laws are about assault and self defense. Maybe even involve local police officers for the event. This could be hosted in a local rec center, park or library.

Tools: Videos that can be presented or sent out to youth for learning purposes.

https://www.pisanilaw.com/colorado-self-defense-laws-impact/

https://youtu.be/AmnQpoy0c8U?si=jVYhrCAlr0PV53MX

https://youtu.be/lHIqBqBt4iE?si=Ln8AhL_SAR1ysW8S

Why does this matter ?

If we can teach the youth how to protect themselves they will not be a statistic. Violence of any kind affects mental health, especially when you are attacked or robbed or hurt physically by another person. Young people can be targeted more than just the average person.

The FBI's Crime Clock data indicates that an aggravated assault occurs every 38.5 seconds in the US. A violent crime was committed every 24.6 seconds. A murder occurred every 30.5 minutes, a rape every 3.9 minutes, a robbery every 1.7 minutes, and an aggravated assault every 39.0 seconds.

Protection is caring for yourself , it's just as important as self care.

September is the start of school years and if families can be helped out with bills or housing then the kids in the family can focus on school and having fun.

Tool:

Host this annually if possible where families can travel to the location easily.

Have school backpacks filled with new school supplies to hand out.

Hold hard conversations about "It's okay to ask for help"

Why this matters?

This matters so much to communities that have families struggling to make it every week or every month. This would relieve some stress that parents have that comes with the new school year and holidays that follow after that. Some parents have to rely on food banks just for those upcoming holiday meals.

Host a night or day in your community with the focus of having elders and young people in the space together to connect with one another. All across the United States as a culture we have lost the vital connection point between elders and youth. Offering opportunities for youth to meet with elders in their community can create space for mentorship, generational healing and new meaningful connections.

Some options for an event could be:

a. Host a storytelling event: invite elders to share their stories, history, cultural knowledge or other lived experience

b. Workshops: invite elders in your community to teach youth a new skill

c. Tech Tutoring 101: invite youth to assist older generations on how to use technology

Planning Resource:

a. Intergenerational Activities from a Native American Perspective |

Tools:

a. Tedx MtHood: The superpower of intergenerational living | Derenda Schubert

b. Intergenerational Programs Benefit Everyone (see attached)

Data/Why it matters:

• Over the years the divide between youth, children, adults, and adults has grown wider and wider. We see this in schools where kids are seperated into classrooms by age, in adulthood where communities offer events specific to those age groups, where most people hangout only with others that are within their age group. All of those opportunities to connect with people your own age are amazing, but the emphasis on them means that something has gotten lost and that something is intergenerational communities. Connecting with folks older, younger, and the same age as you gives us an opportunity to diversify our understanding of the people/world around us, hear different stories and mentor others or be mentored.

a. The Benefits of Intergenerational Wisdom-Sharing: A Randomized Controlled Study | Pub Med https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35409693/

a. On your social media, website, in your office space, anywhere take time to highlight some body (somatic) practices that youth can incorporate into their day to day lives as a way to soothe, regulate, calm or energize themselves. Be mindful of sharing many different options of somatic techniques (shorter vs. longer ones)

Some ideas:

a. Under 5 minute ways to notice your body

• Weighted hand activity: move both of your palms up in the air and place a weighed object (ball, pen, book, etc) in one palm. Notice the difference in heaviness between the hand holding the object and the one that is empty

• Bare feet to floor: place two feet (ideally barefoot) on the flat floor and gently press them into the ground. Notice what sensations come up in your calves, toes, a/o thighs. Release and repeat this 3-5 times.

• Sit and Stand: Stand up and then sit back down. While doing this notice the difference in sensation between sitting and standing. Repeat this 3-5 times.

b. Under 5 minute ways to use your breath to self soothe

• 2:1 Breathing: You'll want to inhale shorter than your exhale. Example: breath in for 4 counts then exhale for 8 counts. If you prefer to use words rather than count you can find a word that represents safety for you and inhale as you say that word once and say that save word as you exhale but 3-4 times to ensure that your out breath is longer than your in breath.

• Sigh it out!: Inhale, then without breathing out inhale again right away, and as you exhale let out an audible sigh (make a noise as you exhale). Repeat 1-3 times.

c. Ways to use your body to comfort you

• Thumb Hold: Hold both hands up take one hand and wrap it around the thumb of your other hand. Take the hand that has the thumb wrapped and wrap the other four fingers around it- place both hands down in your lap. (this is a great low-key way to give your body some extra love when it may be feeling alone or isolated. I love this because you can do this when you are in a room full of people and they won't notice!)

• Self Hug: take both arms and criss cross them to touch opposite arms to opposite shoulders. Now slowly tap your hand on your shoulders back and forth- feel free to rock or sway as you do this. (this is really great if you are feeling overwhelmed or hyper aroused)

Possible Planning Resources:

• Partner with a local somatic therapist or coach in your area to host a workshop for youth in your area

• Partner with a local meditation center that can organize a youth only meditation walk or meditation sit

• Partner with schools and a local somatic therapist/coach or meditation center to offer meditation in schools or a somatic techniques workshop at the school

Tools

• Rich Roll Podcast | A Skeptics Guide to Meditation: Bob Roth on the Science & Extreme Benefits of Transcendental Meditation

• Youtube| Somatic Practice for Trauma and Release with Dr. Arielle Schwartz

• Trevor Project one minute breathing exercise |

  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/breathing-exercise/

Data/ Why it matters

• Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review|https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8276649/

Possible Planning Resource:

• YMCO’s interactive Resource Map (highlight orgs that are youth-led or youth-welcoming)

• VolunteerMatch.org or local United Way chapters for additional listings

• Coordinate with local schools to advertise National Days of Service (like MLK Day or Global Youth Service Day)

Tool:

• Canva templates for creating volunteer event flyers

• YMCO’s volunteer interest form or sign-up sheet

Why It Matters:
Service builds a sense of purpose, confidence, and belonging. According to Youth Service America, youth who participate in meaningful service are more likely to become civically engaged adults. Volunteering also helps develop leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while building stronger ties between youth and their communities.

Possible Planning Resource:

• Collaborate with local DV shelters or family justice centers (they often already have materials or trainers)

• Connect with school counselors or youth-serving organizations to help with outreach

• Love is Respect (https://www.loveisrespect.org/) : offers youth-friendly content on healthy relationships and safety planning

Tool:

• Self Defense Keychain Kit Guide (what to include, how to use)

• YouTube: Self Defense Tips for Teens by trained instructors

• “Self-Care Bingo” or zine-style handouts with coping strategies and mental health tips

Why It Matters:
According to RAINN, youth ages 12–34 are at the highest risk for sexual violence, and many don’t have the tools or knowledge to protect themselves. Creating proactive, youth-friendly safety events normalizes conversations about boundaries and teaches young people how to care for themselves and each other.

Idea: Contact the local grocery stores for a food drive, if store could donate non perishable foods at a park event for people that would help the community. The volunteers could come from YMCA, schools, similar non profits that help out the community already.

Why does this matter ?

Young people can learn from hosting a food drive in the neighborhood they live in, they can understand what happens to people in their communities and why those people do not have enough food for themselves.

• Create or add to an existing Pen Pal program in your community. Have this be an anonymous pen pal group. Choose who is involved in the Pen Pal program: is it just youth with other youth, youth/kids corresponding with elders or something else. Think about what would be most impactful for your community.

Resource Planning:

• Partner with a local art supply shop to help donate/or at low cost provide all of the supplies needed for the Pen Pal program

• Partner with a local organization that can be the drop off point for all of the Pen Pal correspondence (ex: schools, community centers, YMCA, rec-centers, youth drop in spaces, etc.)

• Partner with schools in your area to offer this

• Partner with virtual Pen Pal partnering organizations

• Partnering with a local senior center

Tools:

• Pen Pal Exchange Program | https://inclusiveschools.org/isw-activity/pen-pal-exchange/

• Pen Pal Program in Minnesota|

  
  

• Hold a night where youth teach other youth a skill. Have youth that are interested in teaching other youth something that they are passionate sign up to teach and have other youth sign up to learn. Skills could be anything: learning to ride a skateboard, how to play chess, how to draw, etc. Ideally, you want an organization to host this event and partner with others who would be able to help provide the supplies for the event.

Planning Resources:

• Reach out to local gear shops seeing if they can donate for a night the needed supplies for some of the workshops

• Post online that you are looking for supplies for this event and see if folks have anything extra lying around that they would like to donate

• Find a spot to host the event (ex: youth drop-in space, school, community center, library, etc)

Tools:

• Young people in the SW Colorado area find an organization that resonates with you and volunteer- below are a list of options to choose from.

Possible Resources:

• San Juan Mountain Association: for if you're interested in working out in the mountains. https://sjma.org/get-involved/volunteer/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• La Plata Humane Society: do you love animals? This may be the place to volunteer for you. https://lpchumanesociety.org/get-involved/volunteer/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• Manna Soup Kitchen: do you enjoy preparing/cooking meals? https://www.mannasoupkitchen.org/volunteer

Tools

• Search for volunteer opportunities via google or other social media

• Post on social media that you are interested in volunteering and if folks now of any place

• Local newspapers may showcase volunteer options

Why it matters

• Volunteering can offers a low key introduction into serving your community and seeing how it feels for you, what the time commitment is, if service looks different than direct service. It's also a great way to involve yourself in areas of work that you are really passionate about.

• Coordinate a group of young people in your community passionate about an issue to prepare and present that issue at your communities next city council meeting

Planning resources

• Look up the date of your next community council meeting

• Create a focus group with interested young people and facilitate preparation meetings (ex: reach out to student body clubs at high schools or colleges, political science departments at local colleges,etc)

• Use social media, fliers, websites to get the word out

Tools

• Blueprint for how to speak at a city council meeting | https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Public-Comment-at-a-City-Council-Meeting#:~:text=Voice%20your%20opinion%20clearly%20to,expect%20while%20you're%20speaking.&text=Do%20your%20best%20to%20avoid,other%20candidates%20for%20public%20positions.

• Video and article on tips for speaking to public figures | https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/quick-tips-speaking-public-meeting

Why it matters

• This is a great way to get comfortable speaking in public, working on an advocacy issue with others, and get familiar with how advocacy can look like if trying to get into local or statewide politics.

Planning:

Gather needed supplies.

Advertise this community event around youth driven places.

Make sure some safety rules are implied if it is free ranging in the community/ busy roads.

Tool:

Neighborhood Watches

Local libraries

Neighborhood Parks

Gather volunteers that are great around youth.

Highlight the benefits of the clean up event.

Why this Matters: This event or something like this will show the neighborhoods that youth do care about a clean outdoor environment. Other people will be shocked and awed at others picking up litter. This could also be done around earth day. The vest will draw peoples attention , then someone can explain briefly about what the clean up is for. Cleaning up places in public is not so common either. Youth can learn how to be social at this event as well.

• Get a group of friends together to commit to one hour of being screen free. Instead find an activity you all can do together and leave your phones at home.

Possible Planning Resource

• Take a walk or hike

• Coordinate a picnic

• Play board games at a park

• Bake together

Tools

Data/ Why this matters

• More an more young people are saying that their phones make them feel anxious, but also don't know how to step away from the thing that makes them also feel connected. Getting your friends on board to do the same for at least an hour can help you maintain connection without that feeling of anxiety. Screen free time allows us to fully engage with those we are in company with, the world around us, have free flowing thoughts, feel things we may have never felt before, have new insights and more.

• Data on screen time nationally and in the U.S. | https://backlinko.com/screen-time-statistics

• CDC Data on screen time | https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db513.htm

Planning steps:

Gather local volunteers.

Round up youth's favorite outdoor games.

Have basic needs- grab bag to go after the event is done.

Reserve the park space if needed.

Tool: Youth MOVE Colorado's youth awareness toolkit.

Local map of area

People that are willing to volunteer.

Why it matters?: This helps young people develop ideas and socializing skills in a general public area. Some youth that have PTSD or anxiety could benefit from an event like this so they can get desensitized in a safe space and maybe even process some mental thoughts.

Resources: Local law enforcement to come out and explain rights.

Lawyers that have volunteer time to teach youth about courts and the rights you have in court.

https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/human-rights-ordinance

https://bouldercounty.gov/government/about-boulder-county/public-assembly/

Tools: Reach out to local people that can teach youth about local laws.

Make space for the Learn About Law day.

Why this matters: This would be an important topic for youth to learn about so they can possibly avoid jail time or any trouble with law enforcement. This year has been very troubling for young people and their rights.

Step 1. Build Relationships in the community. It can be simple as having a conversation outside in a park or showing up to give out some coffee in the morning for people just walking by. Go to public areas and explore the population of people around you. You can get different opinions about what your city is doing and how people want to see their community. Its very interesting how you can start small talk and maybe make some friends or partners in your area.

Step. 2 Go to an event, go to a local charity event, go to a festival, go to anything that your community is doing. That is where you can meet people in different organizations and can connect with maybe some people that need help. People will see you as a part of the community when you show up to a local event.

Step. 3 Volunteer your time. Find an organization that needs man power or needs just a bit of help. You can find out a lot by giving your free time to learn and understand how to connect with people. This is a way to learn about people's different cultures and ways of life.This could be making a meal for a shelter, setting up your own outreach to do, going to a library to see if there are any local groups that need help.

Step. 4 Use technology ! Use technology to get the word out about connections. It is a way to communicate and let people know info. Technology has been a big part of peoples lives now and it's not going away so we might as well use it to connect closer to people through social media, websites, virtual events and more.

Tool: Local festivals, public places, coffee/tea, cultures.

Why this matters: This connect 4 can bring people together, you can use all 4 or each one separately. It can be a learning stage for everyone in the community on how to connect people together.

https://youtu.be/A5_rotLwa8Y?si=fZ99UfjJkbqsm1N9