Local Organizations Convene About Youth Center Loss July 27
Spies In America, December 3, 2016, 242 Main. Photo by Tim Snow.
Teen-led space emerges as cultural and prevention priority
BURLINGTON July 10, 2023: Several local nonprofit organizations have allied to co-host a virtual community conversation about the regional need for supported, safe, teen-led spaces. Winooski Partnership for Prevention and Big Heavy World with support from Vermont Afterschool and the Vermont Youth Center Alliance invite an open discussion about the social and economic value of providing safe spaces for teen-led programming and to explore the actions that might be taken collaboratively to address this need. The conversation via Zoom will be Thursday, July 27, 6pm.
For more than 30 years, 242 Main was a safe, all-ages gathering spot for the youth of northwestern Vermont. Organized by the City of Burlington’s Youth Office under Mayor Bernie Sanders, 242 provided a haven for young people and fans of underground music. In 2016 after decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, the city closed the doors to Memorial Auditorium, the city-owned building that 242 Main is located in. Sarah Reed, a Public Defender and board member of Winooski Partnership for Prevention, provided the catalyst for this community discussion. Reed said, “242 Main sparked my view of myself as a citizen. Youth need spaces where they matter and are valued. Because of 242, I wasn’t hanging out in parking garages or other unsafe places on Friday and Saturday nights. I was in a space that was safe and inclusive. I can literally plot a direct line from the values that I learned there to my career as a public servant.”
Several formal frameworks describe the value of youth-led programming spaces, to individuals and the community. In spaces like these, teens can test out different interests, figuring themselves out. Teens aren’t just attendees, they are essential, and this enables them to care, own the space and what happens in it. Youth centers provide protection from risk factors, in the form of fostering connection, self-control, self-confidence, providing adult mentors, and building relationships. Teens who participate in youth centers develop and grow a set of soft skills that not only increase how likely they are to find employment or entrepreneurial success but also improve self-worth and self motivation.
"Youth Centers provide the opportunity for our youth to co-create the culture of that space with the adult staff. This gives them the experiential learning of what it's like to influence a community space, be an active contributor to that community, and participate in it as a valued member,” said Matt Wolf, Senior Associate for Youth Empowerment at Vermont Afterschool. “Youth Centers are instrumental in teaching our youth to be contributors to their communities and are essential to their growth and development as citizens."
Safe spaces by their nature contribute immensely to prevention. These benefits are all known through research and the first-hand experience of several generations of youth in the Burlington area, shared for a documentary film about 242 Main. One interview subject said, “It 100% saved my life. There were so many paths at different times that I could have taken. I watched my friends get into drugs, I watched just crazy things happen... it gave me something to focus my energy on, y’know, so I didn’t get sucked into those things – and there was a lot of crazy stuff going on around, but I kind of focused on the music, and when I needed to go there and work stuff out, I did.”
Kate Nugent, a state legislator, directs Winooski Partnership for Prevention (WPP), a substance use prevention coalition. WPP works to change the cultural norms that support youth substance misuse by creating opportunities for all sectors of the Winooski community to become involved, and to inspire and empower local youth to be prevention leaders. Nugent said, “The need for positive spaces that teens want to be in and create seems clear. My hope is that with the right partners, there will be a big enough resource pool from which to re-invigorate and or reimagine 242 as a regional hub. When youth have positive outlets, their incredible energy and creativity can help carry them through to fulfilling adulthoods and all of us benefit from their unique contributions.”
James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World, has been a vocal advocate for the return of teen-led programming to the historic 242 Main venue. Lockridge said, “Past generations in Burlington have known what it means to have a safe space where young people can make their own decisions and learn from each other how to be boldly creative, or to have an opinion and be confident in their self-worth — in a place where their voices and differences are respected. That important resource was lost, tragically. This disenfranchisement of youth is reversible if responsible decision-making begins to happen again. Our community can help inspire that.” Big Heavy World publishes a 242 Main resource page at bigheavyworld.com/242main and has collected more than 2,500 signatures on the Save242Main.com petition to reinstate the historic program. Big Heavy World is producing a documentary film about 242 Main and journals about advocacy to save it at https://bigheavyworld.com/242-timeline.
Reed, Nugent and Lockridge welcome community leaders of every background to the July 27 conversation; the topic of safe, teen-led space has the potential to benefit the community as a whole. “It’s only a start to recognize the need and explore actions that turn the need into an opportunity. Our community — and our cherished next generation — deserve this effort and collective commitment,” said Lockridge.
For information and the Zoom link, contact Sarah Reed, Sarah.Reed@vermont.gov, (802) 370-6799.
About Winooski Partnership for Prevention (WPP): Winooski Partnership for Prevention is the Winooski community’s substance use prevention coalition. It strives to make prevention a priority in Winooski, Vermont through community education and engagement, youth empowerment, and policy change. The work of WPP specifically focuses on underage drinking, tobacco, cannabis use and prescription drug misuse prevention. http://www.winooskiprevention.org/
About Big Heavy World: Big Heavy World is an independent, nonprofit volunteer-run music office serving the state of Vermont. Founded in 1996, it has leveraged a technology-heavy D.I.Y. ethic and inclusive philosophy to support musicians and advance the music sector, preserve Vermont’s music legacy, and empower young adults in an environment that focuses their passions and intellect. The organization was selected by an international jury to receive the 2020 Music Cities ‘Best Global Music Office Award.’ Its programs are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the USDA; U.S. Department of State; Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Humanities. https://bigheavyworld.com/
Photo by Tim Snow.
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