Brave Space
“Conversations in a Safe Space on Current Events” began one year ago in response to the murder of George Floyd. Should our programming have been providing this opportunity for years? Probably. But, I think its inception hesitated for the same reasons all new programming can. We didn’t feel ready for implementation. Considerations about capacity in terms of staffing and time amid other established programs alongside individual capacity to facilitate such a conversation meant we had played it safe.
COVID-19, its effects and its illustration of underlying causes, changed the space. In my programming experiences over the past year, COVID-19 changed the Safe Space to what many refer to in the implementation of civil discourse as a ‘Safe Enough’ Space.
Safe Space. Brave Space. Safe Enough. . . what is the difference? These terms and this question were all a part of our introductory conversation when the “Current Conversations” session begins. And, there is no one definition because how this space looks and feels will always be a little different for everyone. However, the intersection that matters is the choice to use the support of the Safe Space to push us a bit farther than we would normally feel comfortable going. Brave would be easy if we were superheroes, but we can be ‘safe enough’ accepting that conversations, and new program implementation, will be uncomfortable and we won’t have control over the ending. And, that’s okay.
Deborah A. Moroney state in her recent article, From Model to Reality: The Role of Implementation Readiness, “Although I am not sure we can nonchalantly parasail over the scary chasm between theory/model and practice, I do think we have made some progress in our understanding of the first steps toward bridging this implementation chasm.”
In fact, this may be why the youth voice is underused in our program planning to begin with. Adults prefer a Safe Space over Safe Enough.
We can make a Safe Enough choice in our daily lives even without COVID, but often a disruption will help us to be braver than we might have been. For example, last year my dad lost many trees in a matter of seconds in a horrible windstorm. This year, he planted a series of oak trees inside his fence line. Why is this brave? It challenged aspects of readiness and control. He is 70 and he knows he won’t live to see them grow tall. This is in fact the reason he never planted them before. Moreover, he has no guarantees that the field spray won’t drift nor that drought or other weather might not prevent the tree growth. He planted anyway.
Thank you to all youth who shared their voices in the Community Health Assessment.
Thank you to all youth who mentored other youth, encouraged them and checked in.
Thank you to youth and families who signed onto our Juntos virtual pilot planning for their post high school future despite what high school currently looked and felt like.
Thank you to all youth who noticed challenges and then advocated for solutions.
Thank you to youth and adults who chose to have hard conversations about current events and how they affect our local communities.
Thank you to our youth essential workers, our athletes who trained in the dark and our virtual concert designers.
To everyone who decided we could weather the storm and planted anyway, it does not go unnoticed. On June 1, summer is open and our worlds are reopening to resemble in some ways the spaces we knew before, but let’s not go back to playing it ‘safe’. I think of COVID-19, youth and new normals. I think of adults who probably didn’t believe a program was quite ready. Mostly, I think, we chose to be brave.
Resources
This month I am asking for resources from you(th).
The emphasis placed on social and emotional health I learned from initial community asset mapping has continued and deepened during the past year. This recent intersection of resource and knowledge sharing from the state to the county and back has provided several opportunities to continue to hear youth voice around mental health. This virtual series can be a great starting point for youth observation, goal setting and action steps around community health needs and solutions. This series focuses on the youth selected topic of Anxiety. We are currently building out resources and would love your suggestions. https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/current-conversations/upcoming-conversation/anxiety
Youth grades 9-12 can now register. Participants will meet at 7:30 p.m. every other Thursday beginning June 24 through August 5. Register on the VLC website https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/virtual-learning-community/vlcparticipate/ or in 4Honline under Events. Registration closes June 14.
University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development Update https://www3.thedatabank.com/dpg/449/pm.asp?id=84881&nav=1&aacwc=371564495659815084881279693143%20target=
