Youth at The center
Youth at the Center is a campaign to place young people and our voices, needs, and leadership at the center of development initiatives here in Santa Fe.​ For too long, our communities haven't been included in the decision-making processes surrounding development in their own neighborhoods – the Youth at the Center Campaign is changing that, affirming that authentic youth participation is essential to building the future of Santa Fe.​​
In 2019, we secured critical City and State resources to invest in the much-needed and eagerly awaited Southside Teen Center, which broke ground in 2021 after nearly a decade of planning, advocacy, and visioning with youth across Santa Fe.
Current programs held at the Southside Teen Center include the Groundup! Garden Stewardship Program, a free after school drop-in program, and ongoing activities designed to provide spaces for teens to connect and socialize with one another, develop their skills and creativity, and explore new opportunities together.
WHAT IS THE YOUTH AT THE CENTER CAMPAIGN?
The purpose of the campaign is multi-fold:​
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To support our youth in leading the design of the 10,000-square foot Southside Teen Center.
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To do so in a way that results in meaningful and ongoing participation and support from the surrounding community, and provides the opportunity for our youth to build leadership capacity as they identify professional, educational, and community development needs that can be met through the Center.
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To identify additional community needs and assets to inform a more comprehensive community-driven development process for the area.
Who are our partners? Our partners in this initiative are many and the City of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Public School District, and Santa Fe County have made meaningful investments in the process.
During the Fall of 2019, our team conducted workshops, gathered stories, and collected surveys to inform the design of the building and surrounding land. We combined results from our outreach with input from youth during the 2007 Youth Summit, the 2015 Youth Summit, and the 2017 Youth Summit because many generations of youth have contributed to the vision for the Center. (As early as 2007, young people in Santa Fe identified the need for a Teen Center on the Southwest side of the City).
Thanks to our partners at the City, the State Legislature and strong advocacy from our community- the project received $3.9 million dollars in initial capital outlay funds for its construction. Since 2019, the City has invested $5 million and the state has invested over $6 million into this 17,000 square foot facility.
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