Is it a mistake to think that good grades and test scores are the only way for Bainbridge Island youth to measure their achievements? Do we as a community put too much pressure on our young people to fit into traditional definitions of success? Could we do a better job of celebrating the things that make our teens feel happy and fulfilled, rather than lauding them only for what shows up on their school transcripts?
According to surveyed Bainbridge teens, the answers to all these questions are yes. So, the Bainbridge Island Healthy Youth Alliance wants to do something about it.
This spring, the alliance is launching a comprehensive campaign called “Youth Matters” encouraging islanders of all ages to engage teens in conversations about what matters most to them.
Described as “A Bainbridge Listening Project,” the campaign reminds adults to take the time not just to ask young people questions, but to really listen when they respond.
The Youth Matters message is being distributed throughout the community via a variety of media.
• Tabletop tent cards with suggested “conversation starter” questions are available at numerous Island coffee shops and restaurants, including Bainbridge Bakers, Roosters Café, Casa Rojas and Island Cool.
• Bookmarks with suggested “conversation starter” questions are being handed out at local libraries, Eagle Harbor Book Company and other locations.
• Safeway shopping carts display two different Youth Matters ads, one of which features an irresistible baby asking the question, “Will you still listen to me when I’m 13?”.
• Dedicated Facebook and Instagram pages (with links posted at www.BIHealthyYouth.org) encourage adults and teens to join the island-wide conversation.
• A comprehensive list of recommended questions, along with supplemental educational materials, are posted online at www.BIHealthyYouth.org.
“Youth can’t be heard by adults if adults can’t listen effectively,” said Marina Cofer-Wildsmith, Bainbridge Youth Services executive director. “With the Youth Matters campaign, our goal is to give Islanders of all ages a few tools to help start conversations that go a little deeper and mean a little more.”
Caroline Devlin, a Bainbridge High School junior and a member of the alliance youth task force that helped develop the campaign, is happy to help get the message out.
“Good grades and SAT scores are a part of my life as a high schooler, but achieving those high scores doesn’t make me a morally good person or fulfilled with my life as a whole,” says Devlin. “For me, success is mastering a piano piece I’ve worked hard at, or reaching the top of an intense hike. I love seeing my community encourage diverse paths to personal success and fulfillment.”
The alliance originated as a partnership between Bainbridge Youth Services, Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, Raising Resilience, Boys and Girls Club of Bainbridge and the Bainbridge Island School District and has grown to incorporate city government, youth development experts and local youth representatives. Its fundamental mission is promote healthy, thriving Bainbridge youth.
On Saturday, April 25, the Alliance will host its fourth Community Summit for Healthy Youth titled “Success: Changing the Story?”.
Additional information about the summit and the Youth Matters campaign is available at www.BIHealthyYouth.org.
