This story was written and photographed by J.D. Kelley as part of the Kalamazoo Voices of Youth Program. The Voices of Youth program is a collaboration between Southwest Michigan Second Wave and KYD Network. 

Dozens of young people – including high schoolers, middle schoolers, and even elementary-aged students -- came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.

A July 29 discussion in the community room at Mayors Riverfront Park, 251 Mills St., had about 55 young people working to decide what would be an ideal youth facility. Students were put into groups of various sizes to compare and contrast information about facilities from different states and to create their own concept of a facility they could call a safe and productive place.
 
Many students thought such a place should include a computer lab, a quiet room in which to study and do homework, a stage for presentations, a cafeteria, and perhaps a cafe.
 
Collecting ideas at a gathering of youth who came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.Ideas were generated about what kind of furniture and games the place should have to make it a friendly community they could call their own.
 
“The input session was part of a Youth and Teen (Facility) feasibility study,” says Sean Fletcher, director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Kalamazoo. “In that study, we’re looking at the wear, potential costs, how big (size), what spaces the kids wanted, what size spaces would work. So it’s really looking at all the things that would go into a facility.”
 
Suggestions made by the young people, who ranged from ages 11 to 18, were recorded by facilitators at the input session and are to be part of a study used to inform members of the Kalamazoo City Commission before the end of this year.
 
The idea for such a center is still just an idea, however. Fletcher says a lot more planning needs to be done. “At some point, the City Commission would need to approve moving forward with a project.”
 
Youth came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.Some young people said they think the center should be colorful and have a lounging area. Many included their personalities in their ideas for the facility. More than one person suggested an art room so youths and teens can express their creativity and a game room in which to have fun. Another idea was to include a disco ball to allow people to show who they are through dance.
 
Some expressed their concern for the environment, saying they would like the center site to have trees and outdoor seating. They said they yearned for a  “chill,” comfortable and modern, yet creative, facility where they can “vibe.”
 
Fletcher says the idea of a youth and teen center, a place where advocates can reach out to more young people, surfaced last year as he and his colleagues were discussing future budgets and saw everyone trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. It left lots of young people with no place to go and left others in non-productive situations where they could get in trouble with the law.
 
Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Director Sean Fletcher at a gathering of youth who came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.“We’ve heard from many teens that they want a place to be, a place to gather, a safe place where they can get homework help, where they can learn about different career opportunities and they can explore different types of programs,” Fletcher says.
 
At the same time, the idea is not to overlap any of the good programs already provided by such places as the Boys & Girls Club or the YMCA, Fletcher said.
 
It could be a place where they could learn about becoming a DJ, or about music recording, he says, offering examples of career exploration. At the same time, it could be a place where they could be introduced to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs and other educational opportunities.
 
Youth came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.There seemed to be no lack of enthusiasm among the young people who shared ideas as they congregated around sandwiches and cookies. 
 
Participants said there would be many benefits in having a welcoming facility that has a study area and a place for them to get help with homework. They discussed the idea of counselors helping them with their academics and the idea that interactions with others at the facility could improve their overall character and happiness.
 
Collecting ideas at a gathering of youth who came together this summer to offer their input on what a youth and teen facility in their community should look like.The input session appeared to be an overall positive community effort.
 
Fletcher says city officials have visited teen centers in a few cities and will visit others. In October, they plan to visit The Hive, the teen center in the City of Howell.
 
Fletcher views the work as an investment in youth.
 
Voices of Youth Mentor and On the Ground Project Editor Al Jones contributed to this report.