We make Vermonters here.
- If you grow up in Vermont, you can be ready for anything.
- Our young people will make Vermont better if we listen to and respect their voices.
- We have a collective responsibility to ensure that all young Vermonters are safe, healthy, supported, educated, and engaged.
Young people make a better Vermont.
- We value youth as they are. Just by being young people living here, they enrich our community.
- We can celebrate our young people being young and recognize the value of youth in our community.
- Young people are problem-solvers who are eager to be engaged.
Youth want and need what we all want and need.
- Vermont youth know what they need. We should listen to them and work with them to provide real opportunities for them to lead.
- We have the Youth Declaration of Rights as a starting point. Vermont youth have told us what they need in this document.
- Young and old alike want to be successful and want and need to be loved and appreciated for who they are.
- Young and old alike need community connection, opportunities to learn, and access to recreation and other activities.
- Vermont youth have a right to explore interests, connect with each other and build skills, and these opportunities should exist throughout our community.
The “third space” is where we all live, work and play.
- The third space for youth is everywhere that is not home and not school.
- Young people spend lots of time outside of their homes and outside of school. This “third space” is an important place for them to get what they need as they grow up.
- As we go about our lives, we can welcome youth as part of our communities and provide opportunities for them to learn new skills and to have opportunities to play, relax and be young.
We can work with youth to provide many opportunities for young people to be young and to grow into healthy and happy Vermonters.
