NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES | New Youth Civic Engagement Program: SKYED!

My name is Bridgette Kelly and this summer I am working with Union Park District Council as the Youth Coordinator for a brand new civic leadership program called SKYED. SKYED stands for Skyline Kindling Youth Expression in Development and seeks to focus on developing the area surrounding Skyline Tower located along St. Anthony Avenue and Griggs Avenue in St. Paul. Traditionally, youth in this area have been left out of community planning conversations. Are you 12-19 years old? Do you want to be apart of designing your neighborhood?! Do you want more space to play, more public art, to find ways to clean up the litter, to make videos, to make a difference, to have a voice?! Then SKYED is the summer program for you! The goals of SKYED are to: 1) Identify what dreams youth have for their community 2) Provide an arena for youth to share their ideas 3) Engage youth in meaningful civic projects 4) Create a youth identity in the neighborhood 5) Empower youth to continue on being civic leaders in their communities These goals will be obtained through in depth discussions, field trips, projects, and research that will allow for youth to express their values and interests creatively while working to improve their community. SKYED is a great opportunity for youth to be involved in something worthwhile this summer and is an impressive addition to any resume or college application. SKYED will meet from 4 pm to 5:30 pm each Monday, starting June 25th and ending August 20th, in the Advantage Center at Skyline Tower. It should be stressed that youth do not have to live in Skyline Tower to be apart of the program. We welcome all who wish to participate. If you have any questions or insight regarding the program, please feel free to contact me at Bridgette [at] unionparkdc [dot] org or by phone at (651) 645 6887. I will be blogging each week to update everyone on our progress. Your support is greatly appreciated. I hope to see lots of enthusiastic faces on Monday! Bridgette Kelly SKYED Youth Organizer Union Park District Council Bridgette [at] unionparkdc [dot] org office (651) 645 6887