Imagine being the youngest in the group and having no voice in a decision that affects you—like what you’re doing on the weekend. Well, that’s exactly how youth feel. With having no say in how they spend their time in school and youth programs, youth often feel powerless and detached from these spaces. Thankfully, some people do listen to youth: Third-space staff.
Astounding, heart-warming, and empowering are the first words that come to mind when I think of Vermont’s youth-serving programs. Throughout the last 12 weeks, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing these programs’ staff and youth participants on their experiences. Across the state, I’ve found that afterschool staff provide an engaging and safe space for youth while supporting their leadership development. My conversations with youth and staff reminded me that youth are more capable than we think, and they should not be underestimated.
Emma Cosgrove, a Vermont Youth Project 2.0 youth 2023 summer intern, spearheaded an entire VYP 2.0 project as a teen. She led guided discussions with other teens across the state to tackle the question: “What do you need?” Through these focus groups, Emma learned that adolescents and teens felt they were often forgotten and lacked a sense of belonging. She later presented this data to various groups, including decision leaders, non-profits, and project vision leaders. She found that the adults were receptive to what she was saying and even provided her with additional resources to help alleviate this issue. Her work excited youth; they were ecstatic that people were finally listening to them.
Being listened to matters. Adrianna Corbet, a rising high school sophomore, can certainly attest to this statement. Her work with UP for Learning as a youth intern helped her transform into a young leader.
My experience at Up for Learning allowed me to realize that I was a shareholder in the community, that I shared the right to have my voice heard, and there were people out there willing to listen. It gave me the confidence to be supported by people excited about this work. And it inspired me to continue using my voice to advocate for change and help others to do the same.
At Up for Learning, youth and adults work together to transform education. Adults and youth are treated equally according to Jacoby Sote, a youth program specialist. The organization allowed Jacoby to collaborate with adult partners and design a lesson plan for adults to help them appropriately respond to microaggressions. Jacoby’s voice was heard, allowing him to fight for his values.
Similarly, Cooper O’Connell regularly advocates for his beliefs through his work on the Vermont State Youth Council. As chair of the Climate Change Subcommittee, he helps create recommendations to be voted on by the entire council for the governor and the General Assembly. Seeing the firsthand impact of climate change sparked his passion for combating the climate crisis. The SYC allows him to do so by influencing state policy. This past January, the SYC presented its first round of recommendations to the governor and Legislature.
The idea of influencing policy is catching on even at the local level. This past May, Pankti Desai—a rising high school junior—reached out to Vermont Afterschool with an interest in starting a local youth council in her town. Despite experiencing numerous challenges, she works diligently daily to establish this group because youth voices in her town are not heard. Even before connecting with Vermont Afterschool staff, people were already interested in joining the council.
None of this would be possible for the youth without the adults in their lives giving them support and the autonomy to be leaders. When allowed to offer their input, youth run with it and find themselves empowered, better connected, and valued in their community.
In the Missisquoi Valley School District, Beth Ann Miller, the afterschool programs director, and Rebecca Tucker, the afterschool site coordinator have witnessed the impact of youth voices in her program. With the program’s shift to being youth-driven, they have seen active participation, leading to improved attendance. Through collaboration with teens and bringing their ideas to fruition, they found that the program became more diverse and that teens were more willing to advocate for themselves. The youth contributed ideas, established student-informed programs, and even created a mentorship program. A key example is when a student saw an inequity in English class, inspiring this individual to create a creative writing course.
Nicole Draper, executive director at Swanton Recreation and liaison for the Vermont Youth Project (VYP) in the Missisquoi, shared similar experiences. As a mom, she constantly heard her children and their friends feeling under-represented in their community. She quickly became compassionate in working with young people and giving them a safe space to share their thoughts.
The local youth council in Nicole’s community allowed youth to turn their ideas into reality in ways that impacted their community. Their projects ranged from starting a series of teen nights to buying and assembling equipment for community events. The engagement with youth only skyrocketed from there; within just a couple of years, attendance at the recreation center almost doubled. Draper admits, “there are not a lot of things for kids to do and transportation is a huge issue.” Due to Swanton’s location, these youth don’t have access to things you would find in an urban environment. However, the Vermont Youth Project allowed these youth to brainstorm and work with staff to build their vision. Calvin, one of the three Swanton youth representatives, said the program is important because “it gives kids somewhere to be where they are not at home just playing video games or just on your phone, and teaches them to be more independent while still listening to people supervising them.” Two of the three representatives were the founders of the recreation’s Dungeons and Dragons club. The founders were happy to share their interests with their peers and glad to see people connect because of it.
Laura McCaffrey, the VYP coordinator in Cabot, experienced a similar phenomenon. Their local youth council brainstormed four proposals and surveyed 5th–12th graders about their interests and needs. Out of the four ideas, two proposals passed: the creation of an art space and a revamp of the recreation field. Throughout the process, the youth used the data to think about grant funding and had to think through the logistics of these projects. Regardless of the challenges, the community surrounded the youth with so much love and support. Adults encouraged youth to vote on the proposals and helped set up equipment. Even the public library was supportive and connected with home-schooled individuals to help spread the word. By the end of their rec field project, the council will have replaced the basketball court and purchased a storage shed, benches, balls, exercise bars, and other kinds of games. As for the arts center, the council has bought new sound equipment, a couch, and chairs to have a space for youth to have more teen-led events.
Oftentimes, adults leave youth out in decisions that influence them; and youth are sadly used to it. They may even hear these stories and think there’s no point in trying. The youth that I spoke to have some advice they hope will give all Vermont youth the strength, courage, and conviction to try.
The VYP 2.0 youth intern, Emma Cosgrove, who helped lead the Vermont Youth Project that has now transformed numerous towns across the state said, “If you want to see change, you have to give it a push. If you have the opportunity to take action, take it. People will help you create positive change.”
Cooper O’Connell, the Vermont State Youth Council Climate Change Subcommittee’s chair, states, “Your voice matters and there are people in your community who want to hear what you have to say. Some people will always say that you’re just a kid, but don’t listen to those people. If you feel passionate about something and truly want to make a difference, use your voice and speak out about it.”
The creators of the Dungeons and Dragons club at Swanton expressed, “Don’t give up.” They were initially disillusioned and didn’t believe that they were going to make a club but then thought about what would happen if they never tried. If they gave up, the kids that now go to the club wouldn’t now have the opportunity to play this amusing game and connect with other kids who share the same interests.
If you want to see change, you have to give it a push. If you have the opportunity to take action, take it
Lastly, it’s important to note that no matter how far along a project you are as Pankti Desai beautifully states, “take care of yourself. I think especially if you’re interested in youth activism and youth leadership, it can be really easy to burn out and it can feel like you’re not doing enough. I think it’s important for youth who are interested in being a leader in their community to realize that not everything happens overnight; you’re doing everything the best you can and that’s everything that you can do. And also, don’t be discouraged. Know that there are so many people rooting for you. It’s important to take care of yourself so you can be a more effective leader.”
Unfortunately, it’s become the norm for us adults to view youth and think, “What do they know? They’re just kids.” Clearly, we’re wrong. They know more than we believe and may even teach us something. Youth and adults can work together to not only create much more enjoyable and impactful experiences for youth, but also to elevate Vermont.
Special thanks to all of the individuals/groups listed below for their time and support:
- Adrianna Corbett | Up for Learning Youth Intern
- Beth Ann Miller | Missisquoi Valley School District (MVSD) Afterschool Programs Director
- Cooper O’Connell | Vermont State Youth Council Climate Change Committee’s Chair
- Emma Cosgrove | VYP 2.0 Youth Summer Intern
- Jacoby Soter | Up for Learning Youth Specialist
- Laura McCaffrey | Cabot’s Vermont Youth Project (VYP) 2.0 Coordinator
- Nicole Draper | Missisquoi Valley Union Youth Council Lead & Swanton Recreation Director
- Pankti Desai | Essex Junction Youth Council Founder
- Swanton Recreation Representatives | Swanton Recreation Previous Participants & Current Volunteers
- Rebecca Tucker| Missisquoi Valley Union After school Site Coordinator
Vanessa Dator Pintair is a psychology and education studies major at Middlebury College and was Vermont Afterschool’s 2024 MiddWorks for Vermont Communications Intern. Many of her favorite childhood memories are from afterschool programs, which provided her with a community and enhanced her sense of belonging and autonomy. When she doesn’t have her nose in a textbook, she enjoys hiking, watching good television, and reading romance books.
Vermont Afterschool is thankful to Middlebury College for this internship opportunity and to Vanessa for sharing her summer with us.
