Why Bloomington Teens need a place to call their own
All children need to have a safe, supportive place where they feel welcome and loved. Adolescents are not an exception to this statement. Before the adolescent years, parents are more protective of where their children are, and children spend more time at home or in supervised care. As children grow older, more freedoms are granted, including the places they can go. Whereas young children have childcare centers and after-school programs, adolescents are left to their own devices, often seeking out entertainment in the wrong places.
Across the country, communities have established teen centers directly aimed toward creating a safe environment for teenagers. Bloomington has had a large number of youth for a long time. While the total population in Bloomington has decreased in the last decade, the number of youth has increased. In 1990, youth aged between 5 and 18 made up 15% of the population. In 2000, that percentage increased to almost 20 ("Community").
Many times, youth are asked to leave businesses (coffee shops, restaurants, stores, malls, etc) because of reported 'disruptive behavior' or lack of money to use in purchasing. Without these places, where are teenagers supposed to go? Nearly every community in Minnesota of Bloomington's size and population has a teen center. Bloomington youth deserve an open, free place to go during out of school time. Having a safe place like this will give teenagers an opportunity to receive academic and personal support, constructively develop their artistic minds, and provide a smoke-free, drug-free environment.
Central Grounds was established in 2001 by about 30 students and adults sharing a common vision on the teen center that they wanted to create (Allen). I interviewed David Allen, adult advisor to this group on the visions of Central Grounds. When I spoke with Allen on what the teen center would include, he spoke passionately on the artistic environment that it would provide for youth. "Cutbacks in school funding for the arts was leaving kids who were interested in music, dance and other performing arts few opportunities to perform in public" (Allen). A local teen center would provide a place to foster this love of the arts by offering performance opportunities and links to opportunities in the community. Youth who participate in the arts have been proven to do better scholastically (Kimball-Baker, Tag 27). Arts involvement is linked to the decrease in delinquent behavior by providing constructive avenues for expressing emotions, and it furthermore helps students develop appreciation for other cultures and the world around them ("Arts Ed." ).
One-third of Minnesota high school students report being a current tobacco user (Rode 4). 75% of teenagers reported being a high-risk alcohol drinker ("Reports & Research"). 9% of the population over 12 reported illicit drug use in the last 30 days (Christensen). These statistics should never be that high. Having a teen center in Bloomington would help cut down these numbers by giving teenagers something to do besides participate in risk behaviors such as these, and refusing to allow those behaviors to be brought into the center. When adolescents are given the opportunity, they have chosen to do something constructive, but have found that participation in risk behaviors has been more readily accessible (Kimball-Baker, Connect 5 46)
Lastly, a teen center in Bloomington would provide a nurturing, safe environment. The National Institute of Out-Of-School Time has linked teen's well being to available environments that are emotionally positive and warm. Research even suggests that having one positive area (such as family, friends, school, or community) could decrease the negative effects of other areas. Their study states that "[a]dolescents who spend time in communities that are rich in developmental opportunities experience less risk and show evidence of higher raters of positive development" ("Making the Case" 3).
Bloomington youth deserve a place that they can call their own, just as they deserve the well being the center would strive for. Bloomington residents have expressed a concern for attracting teenagers into one place because of the negative effects if could have on nearby businesses. However, residents also complain when teenagers have no where to go and cause trouble. In providing that place to go, Bloomington would be ensuring that participating teens are not taking part in illegal substances, they are being supported academically and socially, and they are being offered opportunities to grow and excel.