It was an afternoon packed with people, energy and great ideas as Washtenaw Area Teens for Tomorrow (WATT) hosted a Community Forum at Washtenaw Community College on May 18th. More than one hundred community leaders from throughout Washtenaw County – including individuals in business, education, the arts, public safety and justice, health and human services, local teens and local elected officials – convened to give life to new ideas for youth in this County. (See more photos from the Forum)

The day pulled many of its ideas, and a lot of its energy from a Youth Summit held in late April. Eleven “priority items” were distilled and brought to the Community Forum after the full day Summit of local youth who attended from 18 high schools in Washtenaw County. And if great ideas weren’t enough, the Forum’s keynote speaker and facilitator, Ian Hill of The Changing Point kept the day lively and focused.

As a motivational speaker and as an agent for positive change in communities, Hill and his organization promote inspiration through direct communication. “We believe each of us has a moral obligation to be a Changing Point - in the lives of individuals, neighborhoods and communities.” Part of Hill’s message, and one of his company’s stated goals is to “motivate grassroots initiatives and individuals to take ownership of their communities.”

Washtenaw County Administrator Bob Guenzel and the County’s Children’s Services Director Denise Dalrymple addressed the group on the critical importance of understanding the needs of youth today, and to create new pathways to help them learn, grow and succeed.

Guenzel set the tone for the meeting. “I’m part of this effort for my own grandchildren and for the future of this community. Will our young people be prepared for that future? Will we be able to say that we did everything we could to prepare them? I think this initiative will help us answer that question affirmatively and decisively.”

Much of the content for the day was based on 11 priority areas put forth at the WATT Youth Summit in April.  By the end of the day, the group had a list of “actionable items” as well as a list of more than 50 names of community members who came forward to help lead. The  next action steps in the WATT initiative include:

• Increased funding for existing “Safe Places” for teens inWashtenaw County
  
• New “Safe Places” for Teens – especially a new “Safe Place” in Ypsilanti
  
• Reliable and accessible transportation for teens to area recreational, entertainment, or educational venues
  
• Mentoring, job shadowing and paid and unpaid internship opportunities with area businesses and organizations.

For more information on next steps, and the many ways you can be involved with WATT please see WATT's Up? Get Connected!