Bellevue Teens Create a Vision for the Future of Their Community
On January 31, Bellevue Heart & Soul sponsored an event for students from Bellevue High School and Marquette Catholic High School to come together at a workshop and town hall meeting to create a vision for how young people see themselves in the future of Bellevue. Members of the community attending the event listened to the students talk about their vision and joined them in a dialogue to create an action plan for implementation. Results from a survey of middle school through high school students were presented during the event, and helped provide insight for the discussions. The survey, which was facilitated by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship (CRE), asked students about their education and career goals, along with their perspective about staying or returning to Bellevue in the future.
Some of the survey highlights included:
- 61% rated Bellevue as an above-average to excellent place to live as a teen, which is about 13% higher than polling done in other communities across the country.
- 87% of Marquette students and 71% of Bellevue students plan to attend college.
- Nearly two-thirds of teens picture themselves living in the Bellevue area in the future, stating that it was a good place to raise a family, and has strong family ties and quality schools.
- 15% said they had been asked for their input about the future of the community.
- Over 68% said they would volunteer if asked by an adult community leader to become involved.
Students cited more entertainment, recreation, shopping, restaurants and job opportunities as areas they would change to make their community an even better place to live. Suggestions included community and park cleanup, recycling, bike trails, a movie theater, and positive activities for youth. Teens viewed a lack of jobs as the largest problem facing their community.
Teens expressed a strong interest in pursuing a broader spectrum of career opportunities in Bellevue:
- 46% wanted hands-on entrepreneurship learning opportunities
- 49% of sixth through eighth graders expressed an interest in owning their own business in the future
These statistics reveal an opportunity for Bellevue Heart & Soul to work with CRE and community partners to develop a youth entrepreneurship after-school program or summer camp for middle school students. The program would include an entrepreneurship expo on the last day of camp where parents, business owners and civic leaders could see what youth can create using their interests, abilities and an entrepreneurial mindset. Most importantly, what the youth learn at the camp would change the way they think and act as they continue to apply the entrepreneurial skills they developed.
This town hall event fostered a deeper understanding of an important demographic for Bellevue’s future. The process reflected the three key principles of Bellevue Heart & Soul:
- Involve everyone by utilizing a process that connects with, listens to, and includes everyone who lives, works, learns, or plays in the community, including those who are hard to reach or underrepresented
- Focus on what matters by identifying the shared interests and values of community members. Community values represent what is most important to residents and include things that distinguish a community or make it a good place to live
- Play the long game by remaining focused on long-term success that ensures plans or ideas don’t just sit on the shelf. Heart & Soul focuses heavily on building ownership for and commitment to the results.
Developed by the Orton Family Foundation, Community Heart & Soul™ is a community engagement process that reconnects people with what they love most about their town and translates those personal and emotional connections into a blueprint that serves as the foundation for future community decisions. To learn more or to follow the activities of Bellevue Heart & Soul, visit www.bellevueheartandsoul.org or follow their Facebook page.