INVITATION TO YOUTH
Testify before City Council this
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Join us!

If you live in Boulder, mark your calendar for the City of Boulder's "What's Up Boulder" event. This informative, interactive and fun event will be held at Foothills Community Park on Sunday, September 10 from 1:00-3:30 pm. There will also be activities at the location of a future park on Violet Avenue, 1/2 mile away. Growing Up Boulder will be at the Violet Avenue site, facilitating nature play and park visioning activities. Meanwhile, our young people from the City's Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB) and our colleagues from UNICEF USA will be at the Foothills Community Park location sharing information (and gathering input) about Boulder's Child Friendly City Initiative.
Reimagine Policing Plan
Growing Up Boulder and Mayamotion Healing are pleased to share our report, “Reimagining Policing Plan: Youth Perspectives Report, Phase IV, Part II"
Successful Boulder Child Friendly City Initiative Launch
Fourteen years after representatives from the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, and Boulder Valley School District founded Growing Up Boulder as Boulder's "community-based, child- and youth-friendly city initiative," we were thrilled to announce the official partnership between Growing Up Boulder, the City of Boulder, and UNICEF USA towards making Boulder a "UNICEF Child Friendly City Initiative." This incredible milestone was announced and celebrated at Boulder's bilingual Día del Niño event, hosted by BMoCA, on 4/29 at the Boulder Civic Area Band Shell. Read this one page description, in English or Spanish for more details.
We invite you to support our Child Friendly Cities work today--your donation will build our staff's capacity as we embark upon this groundbreaking work. |
Successful Healing Toolkit Training
On 4/19, Growing Up Boulder, Mayamotion Healing (MMH), and teens held a successful training for 20+ teachers, counselors, and community partners on how to use our Healing Toolkit. The Healing Toolkit is a resource co-created by youth, GUB, and MMH to support child and youth social-emotional wellness in response to the Table Mesa Tragedy.
Funded by the Community Foundation Boulder County, the bilingual toolkit offers a variety of healing activities easily used in classrooms or with groups of young people. To access the Healing Toolkit in English and Spanish, visit our Healing from the Table Mesa Tragedy or click the link below. |
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Watch our Youth Leader share her reflections about participating in the Healing Project.
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Our 6-month GUB Impact Report is here!
We're pleased to share our July to December 2022 GUB Impact Report! Why a 6-month, instead of a 12-month, report? It’s because GUB is changing its fiscal year from July-June (which is how we operated when we were part of the university) to January-December (which is how we now operate under our fiscal sponsor, Colorado Nonprofit Development Center). We hope you enjoy this sampling of GUB projects and accomplishments from last year.
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Read our Eco-Healing Project Report
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In response to the Marshall Fire, which devastated the greater Boulder community in late December 2021, Growing Up Boulder (GUB) partnered with the City of Boulder, the University of Colorado (CU), and Whittier Elementary School to explore the concept of “eco-healing,” or the ways nature connection can foster emotional resilience for young people living in a wildfire prone community. More than 130 children and youth ages 6-22 participated, offering insights and preferences about the types of nature-based programs, media, and facilities they feel would most support their emotional wellbeing. This input then led to theoretical design interventions around the Marshall Fire site, conceived by students in an undergraduate studio as part of CU’s Program in Environmental Design (ENVD). Reach our report for details about this moving project.
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Our VisionGrowing Up Boulder's vision is to cultivate vibrant communities where all young people thrive.
Our MissionGrowing Up Boulder's mission is centering young people's rights, voices, and agency to advance equitable and sustainable communities for all.
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"Growing Up Boulder’s expertise and impact on child participation in urban planning continues to inspire UNICEF USA. We are grateful to have their partnership in building a movement to re-imagine cities fit for children and fit for all.” - Danielle Goldberg, Managing Director, US Programs and CFCI, UNICEF USA |
Placemaking Pioneers
In 2019, Growing Up Boulder embarked upon a year-long process to co-create the
nation's first, printed, bilingual, child-friendly city map.
nation's first, printed, bilingual, child-friendly city map.