Growing Up Boulder
Boulder's Child- and Youth-Friendly City Initiative
What is Growing Up Boulder?
Our MissionGrowing Up Boulder's mission is to offer young people opportunities to participate, deliberate, and influence local issues that affect their lives. |
Our VisionGrowing Up Boulder's vision is to lead a global movement in child-friendly cities, resulting in more equitable and sustainable communities for all. |
Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is a nonprofit program based in Boulder, CO. It launched in the spring of 2009 as a partnership between the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, State Senator Dorothy Rupert, local non-profits and businesses, and children and youth from ages 0-18.
Growing Up Boulder's mission is to offer young people opportunities to participate, deliberate, and influence local issues that affect their lives. Locally, GUB has engaged directly with more than 7,500 young people, 1,500 university students, 60 partner organizations, and contributed youth voice to more than 100 projects. Globally, the organization has reached more than 2.5 million people through its publications, TEDx talk, podcasts, interviews, presentations, webinars and lectures. GUB engages children of all backgrounds to include their input in local government decisions, including on topics such as the design of affordable, sustainable housing, resilience planning, transit systems, parks and open space, and productive community dialogue.
Growing Up Boulder's mission is to offer young people opportunities to participate, deliberate, and influence local issues that affect their lives. Locally, GUB has engaged directly with more than 7,500 young people, 1,500 university students, 60 partner organizations, and contributed youth voice to more than 100 projects. Globally, the organization has reached more than 2.5 million people through its publications, TEDx talk, podcasts, interviews, presentations, webinars and lectures. GUB engages children of all backgrounds to include their input in local government decisions, including on topics such as the design of affordable, sustainable housing, resilience planning, transit systems, parks and open space, and productive community dialogue.
We Elevate ALL child and youth voices,
especially those most impacted by
especially those most impacted by
How We Work
1. ENGAGE
Engage with Children and youth on a city project, and establish them as experts.
Engage with Children and youth on a city project, and establish them as experts.
2. CONNECT
Connect city leaders with young people then discuss recommendations.
Connect city leaders with young people then discuss recommendations.
3. INTEGRATE
Create a report of recommendations; the city then integrates them into plans.
Create a report of recommendations; the city then integrates them into plans.
3. IMPACT
Children and youth become more civically engaged; the city becomes more child-friendly.
Children and youth become more civically engaged; the city becomes more child-friendly.
What Are Child-Friendly Cities?
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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. Model child-friendly cities around the world include communities like, Edmonton, CA, with exemplary child- and family resources that benefit everyone. MORE about child-friendly cities and why they matter.
Explore child-friendly cities and how they benefit all community members in Mara Mintzer's, our Founder's TED Talk. |
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Goals
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GUB accomplishes their mission and vision 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). |
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