The local youth network held a meeting on Wednesday to find out what local youth’s priorities are for the next three years.
Over 40 teens attended the Rossland Youth Action Network’s (YAN) Teen Town Meeting on Wednesday at the Prestige Mountain Resort. The meeting was an opportunity for kids to share their hopes for youth programming over the next three years as YAN prepares to work with the Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) new Basin Youth Network.
“It looks good that we will get continued funding for up to three years and that funding will have a significant increase,” explained Mike Kent, YAN coordinator.
The CBT has allocated $4.65 million over the next three years to the Basin Youth Network, which will build on and incorporate the CBT’s Community Directed Youth Funds program — the pilot project that was the source of YAN’s original funding.
“Our program has been identified as a successful program with the [CBT’s] pilot project,” said Kent. “They’ve indicated that they’re going to offer us continued funding, but some of the criteria for that is they want a visioning document submitted about what we think our next three years could look like.”
Youth had an opportunity to contribute toward that document at the Teen Town Meeting.
Teens wanted to see more music programming, following on the introduction of a music night in the fall. They also want cooking programs, wi-fi everywhere, and more opportunities to just hangout in the YAN Space with their friends. Outside the Space, they’d like to see rock climbing, dances and paintball.
They also contributed their ideas about what the new YAN Space on the Emcon lot should look like. Using craft supplies, such as pipe cleaners and construction paper, teens were invited to create 3D models of what the new space could look like.
“When we’re moving toward renovating that space, what are elements that they want to have in there? Thinking about what exists at our location now, what are additional things they would want to see?” said Kent.
He also wanted to thank the Prestige for donating the room and some of the food for the meeting.