Teens speak out about what they need to thrive
Published in the April 30 – May 13, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Sobrato High School senior Tara Mclaughlin believes it’s vital for adults to hear what young people have to say about how they are involved in Morgan Hill, whether it be at school or in the greater community. That’s why she participated in several youth panel workshops April 12 at the third annual Uniting Our Community for the Success of Our Youth Conference.
The one-day conference, held at the Loritta Bonfante Johnson Education Center, provided opportunities for anyone interested in impacting Morgan Hill’s youth in a positive way and help them thrive and learn how they can get involved.
“We’ve definitely brought up a few ideas to implement better habits and better lifestyles for youth,” Mclaughlin said of the conference youth panels. “Just kind of hearing what the youth have to say as opposed to what adults think they have to say is always helpful…. The people who are here are definitely the people who want to be helping the youth. But it’s kind of hard for the rest of the adults who kind of want to help the youth but they’re not as driven about it.”
One issue that came up in the morning’s youth panel is the need to make Morgan Hill’s downtown district more attractive to young people, she said. The downtown does not have any restaurants or stores that provide a focus for teens to hang out, so students often go to In-and-Out Burger, FroYo or Five Guys to socialize.
“It’s definitely the vibe that the business gives off,” she said.
The conference this year “merged” the city’s Developmental Assets Conference, put on by the city last year, with the youth conference put on by the school district’s Parent University group, said organizer Chris Ghione, community services director for the city.
“The idea is to bring together community members who care about making Morgan Hill a more youth friendly place,” he said.
The conference showcased keynote speaker Damian Trujillo, a Bay Area NBC reporter, talking about the importance of young people learning about the opportunities to enhance their lives through education and other resources.
A Community Organization Resource Fair at the conference featured various nonprofit organizations providing information on services offered for the benefit of families and young people.
“A lot of people who live in the community don’t know about all the resources that are available,” Ghione said. “And what we’re trying to do is provide an opportunity to show them. Not everyone knows, for example, that every youth in Morgan Hill is eligible for health insurance, every single one. And if you come here and talk to the Healthier Kids Foundation group, you’ll find that out.”
Other organizations involved included Kaiser Permanente, the Discovery Counseling Center, the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance, ARTTEC and the Christian Counseling Center.
The city of Morgan Hill and MHUSD are becoming more involved with each other, and this year’s youth conference serves as a sign of the growing collaboration, said Hilaria Bauer, director of curriculum/instruction at the district. Their partnership has enhanced the conference, she said.
“We’re bringing people together to create a youth-nurturing environment so that all of us take a responsibility to say we’re here for kids,” she said. “We want to create the best environment, whether it’s in the home, the classroom, a cafeteria, so we all think that way and have that commitment to create a youth-nurturing community.”
