John Scarffe, Nederland. The Communities that Care Coalition presented a Youth Opportunity Advisory Board to the Nederland Board of Trustees during the Board’s meeting on April 6, 2021. CTC is a coalition of organizations and people who are creating a youth advisory board. The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) is a member of the coalition.

Two youth who were presenting at the meeting. Elysia Nitch and Meagan Figgins both related their experiences with having difficulty finding work and volunteer opportunities in town.

Elysia, a senior and member of the youth academy, said she joined four years ago. “It’s a paid job, and they have volunteer opportunities in the community. People don’t know about them and then leave the community.” 

Then they gave a powerpoint presentation about the Nederland Youth Opportunity Advisory Board, which is building youth civic engagement and creating youth opportunities in the community. Research shows that opportunities for prosocial engagement protect youth from the effects of risk factors in their environment, such as substance misuse and mental health. 

Data in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey administered locally shows that this protective factor has the most opportunity for progress in the community. Youth report needing to leave the community to access opportunities to learn and practice real-world skills. 

Nederland High School is implementing career-focused education tracks in the coming school year, and youth would be well-served in having relevant employment and internship opportunities locally. The start date for the YOAB is early in the coming school year with a kick-off in September 2021.

In partnership with the community and local high schools, N-YOAB would/will provide a meaningful opportunity for civic engagement and leadership development for youth in the ninth to twelfth grades. The Board would/will also engage_ youth in the local government decision-making processes that impact them as representatives of broader youth constituencies and provide_ youth avenues to develop skills such as problem-solving, information gathering, persistence, conflict resolution, and organizational functioning. The Board would/will identify___ and advocate_ for the creation of youth educational, employment and recreational opportunities. 

The Board would/will be composed of eight members, open to youth eligible to attend home school, Chinook West, Nederland High School or Gilpin High School. Members will be interviewed and recommended by sitting members. The initial group will be recommended by a board including a Town representative and an adult Communities that Care representative. 

Youth will meet monthly for five to six hours per month during the school year, and minutes will be posted online. Meetings will occur during the school week and participants will be excused from classes or receive high school credit for participation. 

Youth will spend time outside of YOAB meetings to attend meetings of local government bodies and civic institutions for two to three hours per month. YOAB will be evaluated regularly by partner groups and peers and will interact with and be responsive to its constituencies including NMHS staff and administration, NMHS Student Government, Youth Leadership Academy, Youth in Nederland Community Library programs including those who will be amplifying the youth voice in a youth media project to begin alongside the YOAB next school year.

This initiative will not require Town resources or staffing. Staffing of YOAB-run processes and training will be adequately provided by the Nederland Communities That Care Coalition thanks to increased capacity won in a recent grant. 

According to the presentation, they asked that the recommended members be appointed, whether formally or informally as allowed, by the mayor at the second Trustees meeting each August. The Trustees would provide an initial suggested list of upcoming projects and challenges that the Town boards are addressing that the YOAB may choose to learn more about, advance or comment on. 

The list of upcoming projects and conversations would engage youth on the selected areas of creating space for youth voice in decision-making bodies, provide recommendations regarding how this can be accomplished while following laws and procedures, impact youth directly, and opportunities to develop youth skills and invite youth input into creating opportunities for broader youth civic engagement, skills-building and employment. 

The Trustees also could maintain a primary point-of-contact through which YOAB, its staff and the Town of Nederland may communicate, provide feedback and recommendations on this program and how to make it most effective and recognize the contributions of YOAB members at the end of each term.

Goldsmith told the Board that the advisory board is modeled after one in Boulder to engage youth for volunteering, skills development and identify opportunities. They are working with the schools to reach students and will proactively seek out students. 

Mayor Kristopher Larsen said this is a great plan and great timing to work with the Envision 2030 document and to work together with the schools and students. It is an incredible step, and he loves the idea of swearing in new members. 

All other trustees agreed that it is a great idea and can dovetail with what other boards are doing. Eric Coombs Esmail said this is really awesome, and he can’t wait to get that going on and let the students see how they can be involved.

(Originally published in the April 15, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear. The original content has been updated from the print version.)