BRATTLEBORO-For more than 30 years, local nonprofit Building a Positive Community (BAPC) has grown into a trusted community partner dedicated to supporting the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Windham County.
One of the ways that we at BAPC have found success in reaching our goals is by continuing to innovate through youth-driven approaches.
In 2022, the Brattleboro Area Youth Council was created after partnering with Vermont Afterschool. The Youth Council works toward:
• creating inclusive opportunities for social connections across diverse groups.
• empowering youth to influence community change and participate in decision-making processes.
• engaging youth in leadership roles to benefit the community and build stronger, more resilient relationships between generations.
With members aged 12 to 18 from LGBTQ+, BIPOC, low-income, and disability communities, the Youth Council leads initiatives on shared power in schools, civic engagement, downtown safety and belonging, and vocational exploration.
"These initiatives ensure young people shape solutions that change their lives," said BAPC Director Cassandra Holloway.
The Youth Council seeks to directly address and improve bridging the gap in youth involvement, as well as fostering an improved sense of belonging.
Mariam Diallo has been on the Youth Council since its inception almost six years ago.
Since then, Diallo said, "I've seen it grow not only in membership, but in process and mission. Our influence and voice have developed so much, and I can really see change starting to happen."
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One major council initiative is providing growth and problem-solving concerns for community safety and inclusion. The Youth Council has identified youth-friendly businesses in downtown Brattleboro and has begun to build relationships among business owners and the youth of the area, creating a common understanding of the value that all bring to cultivating a positive experience for everyone spending time downtown.
In late 2025, the Youth Council hosted a Community Safety Conversation that drew people from schools within the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union as well as The Putney School. The gathering included youth, parents, and local and state leaders across government, law enforcement, and the judiciary.
Together, the youth and adult leaders created a comprehensive list of actionable ways to which they were willing to commit by exploring some of southern Vermont's societal, economic, and cultural problems in order to build a better community for everyone.
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The Youth Council works on sustaining partnerships between youth and community leaders by ensuring youth have a meaningful seat at the table in town and school decision-making processes that directly affect their lives.
In 2025, 106 students attended two middle school leadership trainings, 11 youth attended a community conversation on downtown safety, and 40 Brattleboro Union High School and Windham Regional Career Center students attended a health career exploration event put on by the Southern Vermont Area Health and Education Center.
Members of the Youth Council recently met with WSESU administrators to explore strategies for improving student attendance and engagement. The discussion emphasized that both are closely tied to students' sense of belonging and the relationships they build at school.
Participants identified mental health challenges, limited connections to trusted adults, and disengaging classroom experiences as key barriers. Proposed solutions centered on restorative, relationship-based approaches that elevate student voice and strengthen connections between students, teachers, and school counselors.
"I'm proud to help with shared power in schools because [youth] need a voice, and I think it's amazing that we can have this opportunity," said Youth Council member Elise Denaples-Hiler.
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Members of the Brattleboro Area Youth Council are advancing several youth-led initiatives focused on strengthening their schools and community:
• Through the Community Safety and Belonging initiative, youth are planning inclusive events and community-building activities to foster greater connection and belonging, particularly between youth and unhoused community members.
• The Brattleboro Youth Civic Engagement Drive, a committee of the Youth Council, is working to register 100 people to vote by the March 2027 local elections, with a goal of at least 60% participation from registered youth voters.
• Meanwhile, the Shared Power in Schools initiative is working to increase student voice, improve school justice practices, and address student disengagement by partnering with educators and administrators to create more supportive, equitable, and engaging learning environments.
Through the Youth Council, BAPC expands opportunities for youth to engage in their community and demonstrates they are valued partners and leaders whose perspectives matter by the work that they do.
In its end-of-year evaluation, members said their favorite part of being on the Youth Council had been the strong sense of community and belonging they have built with one another. They valued the supportive, welcoming environment, opportunities to develop leadership skills, meaningful connections with peers and community members, and the ability to use their voices to create positive change while ensuring every member can contribute their own unique ideas and perspectives.
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The Youth Council is seeking sponsorships and is grateful for the donations from 802 Credit Union and Elks Lodge #1499. A partnership with Vermont Afterschool has provided $2,500 in funding for youth-led mini grants.
Each year, the Youth Council invites project proposals - big or small - that bring people together through skill-building and meaningful connections.
Projects are reviewed and ultimately funded through a voting process led by Brattleboro youth, giving young people a direct role in shaping and investing in their community.
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If you are a youth, or know someone who might like to join the council, or if you are a local business and you'd like to help support and get involved, visit youthcouncil802.org or reach out to youthcouncil802@gmail.com.
Andrea Butler is the communications coordinator for Building a Positive Community (BAPC). The Commons' Deeper Dive column gives noncommercial organizations and groups the elbow room to write in first person and be unabashedly opinionated, passionate, and analytical about their own work and events.
This Town and Village column was submitted to The Commons.