Investing in Burlington's Youth
Hi neighbors,
This is Laura Sánchez-Parkinson, your Ward 3 City Councilor, representing parts of the Old North End and Downtown.
This week we lost a woman and mother in our city to domestic violence. My thoughts are with the youth and families impacted. I created an awareness video to share resources and to highlight the unique experiences of women of color: https://www.instagram.com/p/DekBLfQRXvw/
I continue to believe that investing in our youth and families is critically important.
I invite you to join us for a discussion on Tuesday, October 20, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., in the Sharon Bushor Conference Room, City Hall or online. This meeting is part of the Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging City Council Committee, see meeting details and materials: https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com/event/10157/files/agenda/21320
Over the past six months, I have met with every city department and a number of youth-serving organizations and programs. The memo (see link above) summarizes what I have learned and offers initial ideas. Two gaps that consistently were raised:
A Shared Citywide Strategy. Burlington lacks a clear overarching strategy to guide how we work with, support, and invest in youth across departments and community partnerships.
A Dedicated Point of Contact. Youth, families, and youth-serving organizations lack a clear, consistent point of contact for connecting with the City.
In the memo I offer initial ideas to inform a Citywide Strategy including efforts on youth civic engagement, workforce development, and engaging youth to inform policy and decision-making.
If you cannot attend, I would welcome your written input or follow-up meeting. If you know anyone who might be interested to join, please feel free to forward this information. My hope is that we can co-create a proposal to inform policy, practices, and/or investments for the mayor and city council to consider.
Finally, we have lots of opportunities to engage in the coming week. I will be at the following sessions and hope to see you there!
Monday, October 19th at 6:00pm – Public Forum on Tax Fairness
Tuesday, October 20th at 5:30pm – Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee
Wednesday, October 21st at 6:00pm – Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDNR) Committee
Thursday, October 22nd at 5:30pm – Public Safety Committee
As always, I welcome your questions, ideas, and feedback.
Laura Sánchez-Parkinson, Ward 3 City Councilor
www.instagram.com/sanchezparkinson_btv
