Something is going on ... with youth in Union County

There's something going on in Union County that has been gaining momentum for three years. It goes by the name Youth Plus Initiative, funded initially by Iowa State University Extension through the Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) program. For example:

• One elderly Creston woman changed the time of her daily walk from mid-morning to mid-afternoon so she could meet and greet children as they were leaving school.
• Youth made up a task force to start three teen centers in the county. They located facilities, raised the funds and interviewed and hired center coordinators.
• New teachers in Creston receive "love baskets" from Crest Baptist Church filled with homemade goods and a note of appreciation and support.
• Local government groups give youth a chance to understand and participate in local governance issues.

Union County's Youth Plus Initiative received the Jostens Foundation "Rising Star Award" that celebrates youth-focused communities. Youth Plus was selected for its efforts in providing young people with the resources and support needed to become healthy, responsible and caring adults.

Something is going on here. It isn't a program or a series of projects. It's simpler and bigger than that.

"Youth Plus gets teens involved in community, but not just teens," said Alicia Young, a 2000 Creston High School graduate. "It brings all sectors of the community together to build on individual strengths for a better community."

According to coordinator Suzanne Johnston, she, Union County Extension and other community leaders contacted everyone -- businesses, schools, churches, students, governing bodies, parents and the elderly -- to mobilize them toward building a stronger community.

"It includes getting youth involved in decision-making, but perhaps more than that it includes adjusting the way decisions are made," said Sharon Wasteney, Union County Extension education director.

A weekly spot on the Creston radio station identifies an individual or organization for asset-building efforts. One teen, in nominating a teacher, had this to say: "When I came back to East Union in 1997, I thought of myself as a failure … thank you for pushing me and giving me something to shoot for."

Bunn-O-Matic production manager Rhonda Miller wondered how she and her employer fit into the picture when Johnston first approached her in 1997. Today, she not only understands the relationship, but also the principles that are moving Union County toward a stronger future.

"We see Bunn as a small community where we invest in our people and are committed to treating them with respect and helping them feel of value. This philosophy fits well with the youth asset building at the heart of Youth Plus," Miller said.

"We're learning to stop and step back before we make a decision," she added. "Then ask 'how is this going to affect the youth of the future?'"

The "investing in people" philosophy, a key element in Bunn decision-making, is shifting decision-making across the county.

In 1997, Union County students completing the Iowa Department of Education's Youth Survey sent the message that they felt the community did not care about them. The same survey, conducted in 1999, shows a shift toward more favorable feelings among youth.

Something is happening here, though gradually. For Pastor Chuck Spindler of Crest Baptist Church, having the opportunity to provide a spiritual dimension in community relationships is rewarding. He cautioned that Youth Plus hasn't been an overnight transition, but a gradual change where the collaboration of strengths from many sectors is making a positive change in Union County. One person or organization at a time, the culture is changing.

Children grow up in families and families are an integral part of communities. Youth Plus is a community development effort continually in the forefront of decision-making, a complex and time-consuming activity of building strengths.

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