Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Copley-Fairlawn hosted an exciting and unique event on Saturday, March 7th.  Youth Speak Out! was an opportunity for a panelist of eleven young people age 13-18 to speak to an adult audience about their lives in our community.  Attendees consisted of school staff, government officials, parents, and other adults concerned about youth. 

The panel was moderated by Ned Parks, a professional workshop facilitator, motivational speaker and leadership trainer with New Directions Learning and Development, a global provider of business training and staff development services that helps companies and dnon-profits improve management.  New Directions is located in Bath, Ohio and can be found on the web at www.self-best.com.

At the Speak Out, traditional roles were reversed; the adult audience could only listen, the young people were the speakers.

The audience was amused, reassured, surprised, and at times even dismayed by what they heard.  Highlights included young people's need for an inexpensive, fun place to "hang out", the importance of having caring and supportive relationships with adults in their lives, the need to include young people in planning and decision-making that affects them, the need for them to feel respected by adults, and the need for them to feel safe.  Many of these needs are not being met. 

Adults having the power to change and/or implement programs and policies always feel that decisions being made and services being provided are in the best interest of young people.  Sometimes we're wrong.

The teen panel is willing to repeat this program for any local school, parent or community organization that is interested.  Please contact Dale Panovich at 330-664-4809 or e-mail mail@copley-fairlawnhchy.org

Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Copley-Fairlawn is a community-based organization working to foster positive youth development.  There are two committees, an adult committee that meets one Saturday morning a month (the next meeting is March 21, 8:30 AM at Chambrel at Montrose) and a youth committee (ages over 12) that meets on an as needed basis.  For further information, please visit www.copley-fairlawnhchy.org.

#1  Introduction  5 minutes

#3  What Does the Community Do to Help You Be A Better Young Person? 15 minutes

#4  Do You Feel Safe? 10 minutes

#5  How Well do You Know Safety Forces Personnel?  4 minutes

#6  Do You Have A Safe Contract with Your Parents?  5 minutes

#7  Who Would You Call?  6 minutes

#8  What Do You Want the Adults in the Community to Know About You?  5 minutes