Youth Voice front and center at VOX Atlanta Lights On Afterschool celebration

On October 20, youth from VOX Teen Communications in Atlanta, Georgia came together for a Lights On Afterschool celebration showcasing the power of youth voice. This youth-planned, -led, and -organized event aimed to show VOX as a high-quality afterschool program space, while highlighting the importance of quality afterschool programs to parents and inspiring engagement and buy-in from stakeholders.

Participating teens hosted speak-out stations focusing on themes important to them and the work that VOX does. The importance of community was on display at a station that explored the connection between food and people. Visitors were asked to think of ways that food brings people together, and given examples of how food provided to the teens at VOX allowed them the space and moment to connect with one another around a shared table.

The “Free Your Feels” station introduced guests to the “Free Your Feels” mental health awareness campaign, which encourages young people in Georgia to explore their feelings and share them fearlessly. The goals of the campaign include empowering youth to speak out, encouraging adults and peers to listen judgement-free, and to connect everyone with the resources needed for guidance. The station itself asked attendees to share the last time they laughed and to speak about ways they practice self-care.

Particularly critical at this time was the VOX Investigates Station, whose focal point was the upcoming 2022 election. There, participants were asked to think of issues important to teens that might be impacted during the election. Another topic of conversation included ways for teens to become more involved in the election campaign process. To get more youth participation in the upcoming election, VOX Atlanta hosted a teen-led community dialogue on the 2022 midterms on Saturday, November 5. They encourage all teens in the Metro Atlanta area to show up and speak out about ways that the upcoming election will impact their community.

Lastly, VOX released an early look at the results of their 2022 teen survey. Focusing on Atlanta area youth between the ages of 12-19, the survey explores questions such as: “what makes an afterschool program a quality experience?” and “what would you like to do after school, if you could?” Guests of the event played the collaborative learning game “Kahoot!” to predict survey findings. While the official results of the 2022 survey have not been formally released, you can view the 2021 report here.