Latina teens susceptible to depression
May 15th, 2007This is a hidden reality that all of us who work with young people in California shold be aware of.
Nevada County, CA Youth Center
May 15th, 2007Service and civic engagement opportunities in Gold Country. Info here.
On the minds of young people
May 15th, 2007What better way to start this blog than to let young people have their say?
YO! Youth Outlook, a terrific news outlet run by young people in San Francisco, reports on the findings of a survey of 600 California young people between the agres of 16 and 21. The report, California Dreamers: A Public Opinion Portrait of the Most Diverse Generation the Nation has Known, has some real surprises. The biggest one, for me, is that when asked, “What do you consider the most pressing issue facing your genertion in the world today,” the largest group (24%) answered, “Family breakdown.” I didn’t realize how serious an issue this was for young people. Sounds like they’ve been wounded by what’s going at home and the impact they see on others.
That response was followed by “Violence in neighborhoods and communities,” and “Poverty.”
If we follow our principle that service by young people should be based on the issues and needs they see around them, what are the implications in these survey results? What kinds of service by young people might address family breakdown?