Mission, Vision, Goals, & Impact

What is Growing Up Boulder?

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.  

Our Mission

Growing Up Boulder's mission is to offer young people opportunities to participate, deliberate, and influence local issues that affect their lives. 

Our Vision

Growing Up Boulder's vision is to lead a global movement in child-friendly cities,
​resulting in more equitable and sustainable communities for all. 

 "I hope to play a small part in enlivening our city with equity and civically-minded youth who learn through working with us (GUB) that they can make a difference." 

- Cathy Hill, GUB Education Director 

What Are Child-Friendly Cities? 

​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.

Goals

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).​​

Impact

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.