How can we create spaces and programs for teens to thrive, in Champaign-Urbana and beyond?
That’s the question Illinois Public Media will explore at its first CU Solutions event. Chambanamoms.com is proud to be a partner for this important gathering, “CU Solutions: Supporting Our Teens”, taking place Saturday, Oct. 12 from 1-4pm at Lincoln Square in Urbana. Lunch is on Illinois Public Media and on-site childcare will be provided. Registration is free: https://forms.gle/cQAt7i1WCen8VY3S8
We interviewed Kristin Walters, Engagement Strategist at Illinois Public Media who is
the primary force behind the event, about what people can expect. For more info, see the Facebook event.
the primary force behind the event, about what people can expect. For more info, see the Facebook event.
Who is the target audience for this event?
The audience for this event is people in the Champaign-Urbana area who have persistent ideas about how to serve teens better in our community and who want to meet others to transform those ideas into action. This means teens who recognize programming or services needs for themselves or peers. This means parents who see untapped potential in their teens and want to see community assets that can support them. Teachers and library, parks, and non-profit employees who want to offer better programming for teens and who have been waiting for an occasion to brainstorm with others passionate about innovation in education and recreation. And anyone who reads the description of the event and gets a flurry of ideas they want to share.
For people who might not be familiar with the term organizing – how are you defining that?
Organizing in this context means creating the occasion for diverse voices to join together in service to a common goal. Through listening sessions that the Illinois Public Media newsroom held with high school students, community groups, and institutional leaders, we found a pattern in our conversations: Teens need more help. Since everyone exists in their own work-life bubbles–we’re busy!–the act of organizing allows individuals’ bubbles to intersect, reshape, and hopefully grow in ways that meet community goals.
Why focus on teens?
Teens are a very special population. They still have a lot to learn, but start to take on serious responsibility. Their needs diversify dramatically. They are forming their identities often under a lot of pressure. Some begin to work, some begin to take care of family members, some begin interacting with the criminal justice system, at the same time their academic performance becomes more defining of their future professional prospects. Never mind all the hormones! A lot of teens that I have met with over the past two years (over 500 across the state of Illinois) say they felt a dramatic downward shift in community support as they transitioned from Middle School to High School.
Why is WILL leading this effort?
As a public media organization, we consider our role in the community to be conveners around storytelling and education. We use our radio and TV channels to give that sense of community convening every day, but hosting events also plays a pivotal role. Then we can really help facilitate real-time conversations, complementing those conversations with information and education resources. Since we have a non-partisan mission to support our entire community, we can offer a neutral ground for important conversations to take place.
What is the goal?
The goal ultimately is action towards the innovation and/or creation of teen programming and services in Champaign-Urbana. When you convene passionate people who are motivated enough to meet strangers over lunch to design solutions for community problems, good things happen. We have RSVPs from parents, teachers, teens, community non-profits, parks, libraries, and the school districts among others. The goal is to create connections that help turn ideas for teen programming and services into reality.
What will happen after this event is over? Follow up?
Attendees will decide as a group what happens after this event. Maybe the group decides to convene again to dig more deeply into an issue that arises, maybe it decides to create a newsletter or social media group, maybe something happens that I can’t even dream up. That being said, WILL is committed to taking detailed notes of the event and making sure that we distribute the summary of the event and next steps through as many channels as possible.
How can people get involved even if they can’t attend?
People should email me! kwaltrs2@illinois.edu. I am collecting emails of people who cannot attend but want to receive a summary of the event and hear about the next steps. Also, if you’re eager to see a CU Solutions-style event on another topic in the community, please email me to let me know.