BRATTLEBORO-In response to peers’ concerns about safety for themselves and others, including those experiencing homelessness as well as a desire for more multigenerational connections in the community, the Brattleboro Area Youth Council led a crucial conversation on Nov. 11 on how safety issues affect youth security, happiness and belonging in southern Vermont.
In an evening event at Brattleboro Union High School, arounbd 70 adults and young people convened to share their thoughts on community safety and brainstorm solutions. The summit followed a World Café model, with more than a dozen Youth Council members, aged 12 to 18, from Brattleboro, Guilford, Vernon, Putney, Dummerston, and Dover, leading conversations with local leaders, parents, and other youth at large tables in the high school gymnasium.
Attendees included Deborah Stanford, board chair of the Windham Southeast School District, Vermont State Rep. Michael Mrowicki (D-Windham 4), Judge Katherine Hayes, Windham County State’s Attorney Steven Brown, Brattleboro Town Planning Director Sue Fillion, Brattleboro Selectboard members Isaac Evans-Frantz and Oscar Heller, and public safety leaders, including Police Chief Norma Hardy, Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Evans, and Police Capt. Adam Petlock.
Questions addressed by the group included how youth might partner with adults to help improve the safety of Brattleboro and its downtown, what youth requires to stay in Brattleboro and build a life in the region as they grow into adulthood, and what actions can be taken to achieve these goals.
With each round of questions, adults and youth shifted among eight large, round tables hosted by Youth Council members to maximize the flow of ideas and allow for organic networking.
At the conclusion, each table pooled its results with the rest and the Youth Council leaders summarized their findings, settling on a core message: Youth want to be partners, not bystanders, in creating a stronger, safer, and more welcoming Brattleboro.
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What we learned from these youth-led conversations is that there is a great deal of enthusiasm among our young people to remain in the Brattleboro area and be a part of the solutions.
Brattleboro area youth widely agreed that they felt safe in many parts of the downtown and nearby neighborhoods, but requested clearer options if help is needed. Ideas included more signage with a phone number to call for quick assistance, better lighting on darker streets and the physical presence of adult safety officers.
Youth said that safety officers should be wearing clothing that allows them to be spotted easily in a crowd and be on foot patrol during high-traffic periods, such as Gallery Walk, or when youth are engaged in after-school activities downtown and after dark. Rep. Mrowicki noted that many adults, not just youth, “would certainly benefit from that.”
Youth shared that they generally do not feel unsafe around people who are homeless or panhandling. Youth Council member Declan Sullivan noted that they only begin to feel unsafe “if youth are pursued or followed.” Youth Council member Maeve Bald added that when working at a local soup kitchen, she feels connected – not unsafe – helping unhoused community members.
Youth Council member Leo Storm emphasized that addressing homelessness is a top youth priority, saying that supporting organizations such as Groundworks and Brattleboro Housing Partnership (which were both represented at the meeting) and expanding mental health services benefits the whole community and helps make Brattleboro a place where youth want to stay.
Notably, youth said they wanted better paths and options for remaining in the community after graduation. They requested more paid professional opportunities, apprenticeships, internships and skills-based jobs that would provide the financial support they need to make a life in Vermont.
“It would be good to have more business opportunities,” said Vincent DeNaples-Hiler, one of the youths in attendance. Youth Council member Remy Flood shared that he’s gotten a lot out of his involvement with the New England Youth Theatre, noting that youth also need ways to move up in the organizations where they play an active part.
Many adults appreciated youth feedback. “Listening to the youth tonight showed me we need to let kids weigh in more on what we often see as ‘adult issues’ and give them more credit,” said Shannon Chaney, a local parent, speaking to the room at the close of the event.
Evans-Franz said he was open to fostering more partnerships among youth and adults to work toward long-term solutions. “What really struck me was the creativity, kindness and wisdom of the young people in the room,” he said, after stopping to speak with youth leaders at several tables.
BAPC held the event as part of an effort to gather youth feedback for grant opportunities available to support youth-led initiatives in the Brattleboro area. This is the first of a series of planned conversations the Youth Council hopes to hold with members of the community.
To learn more about Youth Council events in the future, receive a detailed summary of the latest event’s findings, or donate and get involved with BAPC, visit bapc802.org, or contact Holloway at bapc802@gmail.com.
Cassandra Holloway is the executive director of Building a Positive Community (BAPC), a local youth empowerment organization in Brattleboro that sponsored the conversation. The Commons’ Deeper Dive column gives nonprofits in the region elbow room to write in first person and/or be unabashedly opinionated, passionate and analytical about their own creative work and events.
This News column was submitted to The Commons.