Youth Lead, Candidates Follow

October 28, 2016 – On Tuesday, October 18, Michigan’s Children partnered with Ingham Academy and Peckham Inc. to facilitate Michigan’s Children’s 2nd 2016 youth-led candidate forum in Lansing. The youth who spoke at the forum were youth currently or formerly involved with the juvenile court system, who attended Ingham Academy and programs through Peckham Inc. The young people had a lot of great questions to ask the candidates present running for the 67th Michigan House district, and Ingham County Sheriff and Prosecutor.

This forum was particularly interesting because the youth were able to stand and ask candidates who make decisions regarding their lives questions about some of the things they have experienced firsthand. The youth asked about topics from foster care, substance abuse services, transitional programs, human trafficking, and community violence, to mental health and holistic practices for sentencing youth in juvenile court. The candidates responded to the youth placing an emphasis on enhancing the relationships between the county officials and the community, along with community policing, and advocating for the allocation of funds for programs that the youth need in their communities. Through their stories and questions, the youth were able to utilize the forum as a safe space to advocate for a better, more-resourced community environment. Personally, it is truly refreshing to see so many youth communicate the needs of their communities in such a strong way to the candidates. It is equally as refreshing to see the candidates take time out of their busy schedules during this election season to hear the youths concerns, and learn more about the issues that are pertinent to the communities that they are hoping to serve for the next several years.

The forum elicited many spectators who were from local non-profit organizations, the Lansing courts, and other interested community members, family, and friends of the youth. The size and strength of the audience illustrated community support for the youth, which clearly boosted their confidence as they told their stories and asked their questions. It was refreshing to hear the youth claim and embrace their journey as they provided support for the importance of their questions by sharing their own life experiences. As an audience member, I can only hope that the candidates take all of these personal stories into consideration after the election. For the winners: as they create and advance their agenda once in office; for the others, as they continue with other opportunities to serve the community. The candidates offered solutions, and even though complete answers could not be provided to every question, the youth stated that just by putting their concerns on the table they felt as if they made a difference in their communities.

As an advocate for youth voice, and including the practical experiences and knowledge from youth about their communities and schools in policy change decisions, I could not have asked for a better response from the youth. It is my hope that the youth continue to grow, and create and participate in spaces for dialogue about the changes in their communities as they continue through their educational and life endeavors. The youth in this forum had great perspectives and the candidates made sure the youth felt heard which made for yet another successful forum.

– Briana Coleman
Briana is an MSW intern at Michigan’s Children.