What happens when you put a large group of adults and teenagers in the same room and ask them to identify issues that are affecting youth in the community? 

Adair County Cooperative Extension Service collaborated with Adair County Schools, Youth and Family Resource Centers, and other community partners to hold the Adair County Youth Community Conversation. Facilitators from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, and Community Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) led the program.  Thirty-seven participants attended the

conversation, 21 youth, and 16 adults. 

The adults and youth were initially segregated into different rooms to identify positive things about the community and also the biggest challenges affecting youth.  The two groups then came together to compare their lists, look for common themes, and explain their perspective. Priority needs were then developed as youth and adults selected the most pressing issues.

The top four Issues for Adair  County Youth as identified by the group were:  Mental Health, Drugs, Bullying-cyberbullying, and transportation issues. The next step that will be taken is to form Youth/Adult Partnership groups to start developing more detailed solutions to the issues identified at the Forum

83% of participants whose skills/knowledge/perceptions increased as a result of participating in the workshop.  “Adults tend to look at things from an adult perspective and adult problem-solving solutions.  Interacting with youth allows a better understanding of how they see the issues affecting them.