Growing Up Boulder engages Boulder's children and youth in many projects. Learn more about the work we've done (and are doing) by reading the summaries below. And don't forget to click on the links for more detailed information!
Current Projects
Boulder Civic Area
Boulder Civic Area is a visionary "community driven" project to rethink and evolve the downtown's most expansive public space. Growing Up Boulder is teaming up with several schools and community organizations to examine great places and to rethink what the civic area could be for Boulder youth and the community at large. Click here for more information about this project.
Burke Park Planning and Redesign
Growing Up Boulder has begun an exciting collaboration with the City of Boulder Parks & Planning and Horizons K-8 School to engage students and community in rethinking the design of Burke Park. GUB will assist with the implementation of a Make A Difference class, a 4-week course from October 22-November 15th where students will explore their biohabitat, participate in design charrettes and model making, interview and make art with community members, and present their ideas to the city as a whole. Click here for more information about this project.
Neighborhood Photovoice
Growing Up Boulder is partnering with the Youth Services Initiative and photographer Rebecca Stumpf to initiate a Neighborhood Photovoice project. Youth Services Initiative is a program of the City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department and serves children and youth from low-income communities in Boulder. Through the project, middle school youth will learn photography skills, take field trips to their own and their peer's neighborhoods to photograph the places where they live. Through photography discussions and critiques, youth will also develop literacy skills and life skills in learning to voice their lived experiences and desires. The photographs will be displayed throughout the month of May at the North Boulder Recreation Center. Click here for more information about this project.
A Children and Youth Bill of Rights for Boulder
In 2011-2012, GUB worked with children and youth from around Boulder to learn about 1) children and youth bills or rights (CYBOR) and 2) whether we wanted to create one for Boulder. More than 200 youth participated in this project, which has culminated in a summarized draft bill of rights. The next step is to engage adult and youth stakeholders in bringing the Bill of Rights to city council. Stay tuned for more details... For more information about this project, click here.
Events
Growing Up Boulder sponsors annual events to celebrate community involvement by youth and encourage participation in the Growing Up Boulder initiative. This year, we will not have a traditional event, but instead will host an event where youth share their ideas from the GUB civic area project with each other, the community, their families and key city decision-makers. Last year's event took place at the North Boulder Recreation Center and had the theme of children and youth rights. The celebration included:
- interactive youth-run booths that presented findings and gathered new ideas about a children and youth bill of rights in Boulder
- inflatables (obstacle course, bouncy house, and more)
- raffle prizes
- delicious food
- fun classes like kickboxing and hip hop dancing, and
- it was all free!!!!
Past Projects
Community Survey
Growing Up Boulder administered the Boulder Community Survey in late 2010 to determine what community members think about the City of Boulder as a place for children, teens and families. Over 600 people completed the survey and the respondents are fairly representative of the Boulder population. Click here to read the Boulder Community Survey report.
Teen-Friendly Businesses
Teens conducted research and designed a database that catalogs businesses that will hire teens and teen-friendly businesses in Boulder.
Teen Nightlife
In response to youth concerns regarding drug and alcohol use and the lack of engaging nightlife activities, this youth group administered a teen nightlife survey about barriers to existing nightlife options and desired nightlife activities in Boulder.
Child-Friendly Community Assessment
Using a tool created by UNICEF and Childwatch International, the assessment is based on the parameters laid out by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. Children at the Family Learning Center participated in assessing their community’s child-and youth-friendliness.
Youth Portal
Young people in Boulder have repeatedly expressed a desire for one website where they can find everything youth-related. It would include everything from activities and events in the community to links to college resources. The Web and Gaming Applications TEC Program class at Arapahoe Ridge High School worked on this concept in the spring of 2011. Visit the website they created and let us know if they/we are on the right track: http://www.boulder4teens.org(Note: this site plays LOUD music, so be prepared!)
Public Art
Community members and youth worked together to express their views about growing up in Boulder through public art by creating a rotating canvas banners.
Teen Mother Dialogue
In the spring of 2010, a group of teen mothers in BVSD's teen parenting program worked with Growing Up Boulder adults and their teachers to discuss and record their views of what they like about growing up in Boulder and what they would like to change. The girls brainstormed ideas, then put their ideas into letters to city council and met with city council members to discuss their questions and suggestions. The girls' ideas represented what they wanted for themselves as teenagers and what they wanted for their young children. Click here to read a summary of their work.
Input into City Planning
Children and youth share their ideas about how to make Boulder a better place in which to live. They gave input to Boulder City Council members and planning staff for the Boulder Comprehensive Plan Update, participated in the “Street as a Living Museum” event on University Hill, and have given input regarding the future energy policies in Boulder. Click here for youth recommendations to the comprehensive plan.
Media Coverage
Growing Up Boulder (GUB) has been in the media several times over the past few years. Click on these links for past and current coverage.
KGNU's A Public Affair: Radio interview about Growing Up Boulder (2/28/11)
Daily Camera: Boulder asking for help in developing Civic Area ideas (12/3/12)
Daily Camera: Teens invited to share opinions on city (10/3/10)
Daily Camera: Growing Up Boulder holds logo contest (2/7/10)
YouTube: Coverage of first GUB event (10/09)