A Positive Youth Development Partnership grant provides operating support to the Kismet Rock Foundation. (Courtesy photo)
Positive Youth Development Collaborative
Building belonging, leadership and connection to help young people thrive.
Thriving young people are key to resilient communities.
Organizations dedicated to supporting our region’s young people are now working together as part of the Tillotson Fund’s Positive Youth Development Collaborative. The Collaborative is helping young people build leadership skills and design and lead projects and activities for their North Country peers.
The University of New Hampshire Coös Youth Study showed that young people who felt that adults listened to and respected their perspectives were more likely to want to stay in the region. And those with a strong sense of community in childhood reported lower risk for depression and substance misuse in adulthood. The Tillotson Fund committed to expanding long-term partnerships with and among positive youth development organizations to boost impact and help young people and communities to thrive.
Collaborative partner organizations are:
- Working on ways to better serve young people. Collaborative partner organizations are working to understand common challenges — like transportation for students in rural regions and impacts of the pandemic on student wellbeing — to determine how best to support the region’s youth.
- Supporting young people’s aspirations and building belonging. Partners are working directly with guidance counselors and high school students to better understand how to support young people’s needs and aspirations; to understand the experiences that help young people feel grounded and supported; and to ensure that programming meets student needs and helps young people bring their own ideas for community development to life.
- Strengthening community. Members are building partnerships with local nonprofits working in the areas of family well-being, community building and housing to understand how mutually reinforcing work and goals can strengthen communities.
To learn more, contact:
