Learn more about the Youth Against Violence Dialogues - Greater Tacoma Community Foundation

<<	Back to Youth Against Violence

Email This

Printable Version

Learn more about the Youth Against Violence Dialogues

What are the Youth Against Violence Dialogues?

The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation has created a Youth Against Violence initiative, with the help of many other organizations in the city. As a major philanthropic funder for Pierce County, we felt it necessary to proactively move forward and address the issue of Youth Violence.

With the help of facilitators from the Center for Ethical Leadership and the Berkana Institute, the Community Foundation held four community dialogues, which included both youth and adults in attendance. This created an opportunity for both youth and adults to work together to create solutions.

The Community Foundation has hired a part-time intern (a 2009 Stadium High School grad) and compiled a group of 15 additional youth to serve as our youth panel. They provide us with ideas, direction, and are the voice of the youth for us as we move forward in planning.

The Results

Adults and Youth from our community came together and were changed by the stories shared. From the Youth perspective, Adults really listened and asked questions about what youth need to thrive, feel safe, respected, and make positive decisions.

From an Adult perspective, Youth stepped into leadership roles to share what they need and care about in the community to step out of violence. Together Youth and Adults began to develop relationships that will collectively move us towards change.

“I feel like tonight was one of the best experiences I’ve had in Tacoma, hearing people in Tacoma, share their stories in a very authentic way. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.   It didn’t have to be one story, the story we had in the media. It was the myriad that added to the fabric. We felt the strength of the community, people making choices and standing with each other.”   -Pat Talton, ED of Northwest Leadership Foundation

“It seems like all of us or most of us are involved in what would make a better place. How do we organize now to make this happen?     This is about what we are already doing and how we organize to make it happen beyond what we are already doing!” -Chris Jordan, Youth Leader

NOW it’s time to step in as a community to BE that Change:   The time to take action is NOW! It is time to lean in and make a difference in real and specific ways.

Hearing the stories of what is going on in the lives of our youth has compelled us to step in… how can we not? As a community, we are facing a situation where opportunities for youth are decreasing which increases existing gaps for our adolescent to young adults. There is a critical need to work together to create viable alternatives to violence for our youth.

“I’m learning that we have amazing, talented and smart youth and if we just listen to them that it’s pretty obvious what we should be doing.” - Liz Dunbar, ED of the Tacoma Community House

Ask how you can get involved today!