Growing Up Boulder, Boulder's “child and youth-friendly city initiative,” is a program of the University of Colorado Boulder's Community Design and Engagement Center (CEDaR). It began in the spring of 2009 as a partnership between the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, former State Senator Dorothy Rupert, local non-profits and businesses, and children and youth from ages 0-18. Growing up Boulder (GUB) works with children to include their input in local government decisions, focusing on projects such as the design of public spaces, transit systems, housing, and resilience planning.
Child- and youth-friendly cities are locales in which children’s rights are reflected in local policies, laws, programs and budgets. These cities work to realize children’s rights as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Growing Up Boulder's vision is to make Boulder an exemplary child- and youth-friendly city. Growing Up Boulder's mission is to empower Boulder's young people with opportunities for inclusion, influence, and deliberation on local issues that affect their lives.
GUB accomplishes this through many diverse partnerships and supporters. Because underrepresented children and youth are even less likely to have their voices heard than majority groups, the programs aims for 50% or more its participants to include young people who are: immigrants, English Language Learners, underresourced, ethnic minorities, first generation college-bound students and/or young people with disabilities.
Growing Up Boulder's goals are to:
1. Ensure meaningful opportunities for young people’s participation in Boulder decision-making.
2. Make Boulder a more inclusive place for children and youth of all income levels, ethnicities and abilities.
3. Give GUB partners a voice in setting the direction of GUB projects.
4. Disseminate lessons learned from GUB to the community (Boulder-at-large, youth, academics, GUB partners, other child-friendly city communities).
Growing Up Boulder's impact statement:
Boulder’s children, youth, parents, community members, educators, university design students, university design faculty, and city officials will value and seek out young people’s opinions on local decisions which affect their lives, on an ongoing basis. Growing Up Boulder’s model will also inspire other communities around the world to value and seek out young people’s opinions on decisions that affect them.
Child- and youth-friendly cities are locales in which children’s rights are reflected in local policies, laws, programs and budgets. These cities work to realize children’s rights as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Growing Up Boulder's vision is to make Boulder an exemplary child- and youth-friendly city. Growing Up Boulder's mission is to empower Boulder's young people with opportunities for inclusion, influence, and deliberation on local issues that affect their lives.
GUB accomplishes this through many diverse partnerships and supporters. Because underrepresented children and youth are even less likely to have their voices heard than majority groups, the programs aims for 50% or more its participants to include young people who are: immigrants, English Language Learners, underresourced, ethnic minorities, first generation college-bound students and/or young people with disabilities.
Growing Up Boulder's goals are to:
1. Ensure meaningful opportunities for young people’s participation in Boulder decision-making.
2. Make Boulder a more inclusive place for children and youth of all income levels, ethnicities and abilities.
3. Give GUB partners a voice in setting the direction of GUB projects.
4. Disseminate lessons learned from GUB to the community (Boulder-at-large, youth, academics, GUB partners, other child-friendly city communities).
Growing Up Boulder's impact statement:
Boulder’s children, youth, parents, community members, educators, university design students, university design faculty, and city officials will value and seek out young people’s opinions on local decisions which affect their lives, on an ongoing basis. Growing Up Boulder’s model will also inspire other communities around the world to value and seek out young people’s opinions on decisions that affect them.
