Correspondence - #52 - Laserfiche WebLink

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sometimes other people understand a certain subject better. Most importantly, helping each other." - Valley, 12th Grade 8. Socializing With Peers: Some youth stressed the importance of socially connecting with others their age. "If a youth center existed I would mainly look for just an area where people my age can interact and meet new people, while also being able to do assignments and focus on academics." - Saddleback, loth Grade "If a youth center is provided we can meet different people from other schools instead of just people within our school." - Valley, 12th Grade The importance of having a space to cultivate supportive friendships cannot be understated. A 2022 National Survey by the Trevor Project found that 50% of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-17 had contemplated suicide, and 18% had attempted. However, LGBTQ+ youth who had highly supportive friendships reported a 29% decrease in suicide attempts, compared to youth who received low to moderate support from friends. 9. Support Beyond Academics: Youth envisioned a potential city -funded youth center as a place where they could receive mental health and social support, on top of academic programming. "I feel like the youth center should not only advocate for tutoring or education but some other topics that can benefit everyone such as sports, music, and arts - mental services perhaps." - Youth was not in school "A youth center should have all types of resources that can help young students ranging from academic to mental help. But generally, it's a place where students can be safe and feel connected with one another with other students." - Santa Ana College, 1st Year "I want to go to a place that isn't necessarily a library or a community center, just a place that's dedicated for [youth] - OCSA, 9th Grade "Now I'm 20 and I still don't see many spots for youth. I used to go to the teen center at the public library and there would only be one teen there and an adult but they would do their own thing and so would I. It was whatever at the time, but now that i look back, I wish they made activities and paid more close attention to the youth."