7 Ways Young People Can Engage With Their Communities
Millennials are lazy and entitled. Gen Z is self-absorbed. I’ve heard these complaints both online and in person. At times, there even seems to be evidence for these thoughts. But then I think about Greta Thunberg, the Parkland Kids, Katie Stagliano, and all the young millennials running for office and effecting change in their countries and communities.
The truth of the matter is, young people care about the world around them. They want to be involved and engaged. It can just be hard to know where to start. I’ve compiled a list of seven ways that young people can engage with their communities. Some of these are things that I also want to do, so we can try these out together!
Learn Who Your Community Representatives Are
This first one doesn’t seem very directly engaging at first glance. However, it’s important to know who represents you. Look up who your county commissioners are, your local mayor, the people on your local school board, and do some research. Knowing who these people are, how they’ve voted and the changes they’ve made to your area can help you to have a better conversation with community members in the future. It can also help you feel more like a part of the community, and it can give you knowledge for the next local election cycle. If you use my next idea, then this will bring a lot of value to your experience.
Attend Local Community Meetings
This can be hometown meetings, county meetings, any sort of meeting that is open to the public. Often, communities will hold meetings when a new bill is being proposed, or for changes in the community, and you can provide your perspective on it. It can be easy to feel cynical, like nobody truly listens, but if you keep attending meetings, you will learn more about the behind the scenes, gain empathy for the perspectives of others, and increase your knowledge. And you never know if something you bring up can help your community officers change something for the better.
Sometimes, organizations in a community will host a Community Needs Assessment meeting, where they invite the public to come and discuss various topics in order to learn about the needs of the community. These organizations may not always be from a government body, but they value your feedback and what you say at these meetings can end up positively impacting your community.
Look up on your local town or county website any meetings that may be coming up, convince a friend or two to go with you, and get ready to learn more about your community and the people in it.
Write or Call Your Local Representatives
If you can’t attend meetings, or if going to public events scares you, another way to be involved with community discussions is to write or call your local representatives. Young people are very passionate about a lot of things. Find an issue you care about, or do some research. If you’ve learned about who your representatives are and what their positions are, you’ll be well prepared to give them a ring. And if the phone line is busy, an email or even a snail mail letter can still be effective.
When trying to reach your representatives, make sure you know what you want to say, and that you say it in a calm way. At the local level, you might be more likely to be heard, and it’s good to be prepared. Doing this can help you to get your voice out there, as well as show your local leaders that yes, young people do pay attention to and care about what is going on around them.
Volunteer
There are usually a lot of opportunities to volunteer in any type of community. In fact, one of my favorite activities from my LDS mission is when we served at a food pantry once a week. There will always be people who need help, and a food pantry is a good way to start. Host a donation drive, or volunteer your time at the pantry. Or, if that’s not your taste, look up other volunteer opportunities in the area.
Check out volunteermatch.org, or justserve.org for an easy way to find volunteer opportunities. Serving your community is a pathway to knowing your community. When you’re working among people who live where you live, but who’ve had perhaps very different experiences than you, you can’t help but grow to love your community even more. As young people, we may have more time and energy than others to serve, so do it now before things get too crazy in life. Even just a few hours a week is manageable for most people’s schedules.
Host a Community Event
Another good way to engage with your community is to start something yourself. Host an event with something you’re passionate about, such as a voter registration drive or even a party. You can get to know your community by inviting people from it, and it can be fun! Find a local venue if it’s a bigger event, and start building relationships with people in your area.
The March for Our Lives movement started small and became something great. Katie’s Krops started with a small community garden, and now has gardens across the country. You never really know what can happen when you simply decide to start. And it doesn’t have to be for some sort of cause. If you want to start a community book club or a monthly cooking class, go for it!
Get to Know Your Neighbors
I can’t tell you how many times people have told me that they don’t know who their neighbors are. As young people, we probably don’t have houses of our own, and likely live in apartments or with parents, or whatever it may be. That doesn’t mean you can’t get to know the people around you! Drop off a treat and introduce yourself, host a game night, do something that will allow you to meet the people you live near.
When we make friends with our neighbors, we have more connection with our communities. Perhaps they are involved with something that sounds cool, and now you can learn more about it. Perhaps you’re in a pinch and they can help you out, or vice-versa. You don’t have to become best friends, but knowing your neighbors can help you feel less isolated, especially if you’ve recently moved to a new place.
The Nextdoor app and website is a great tool for connecting with your neighbors and getting to know them. You can also post about community events, or find out about where they’re happening from it.
Follow Your Community on Social Media
Social media can be a great tool for finding out what’s going on in the area. Many towns and counties now have a Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram page. Some may be unofficial, but look it up and see what there is. By following your community, you’re making yourself a part of it. You can comment in their posts and get information about events, policies, or other local areas of interest.
As a fairly typical zillennial, I’m on social media a lot. I follow local accounts to stay informed, and I’ve found it really beneficial. Doing this even helped me know how long to expect the power to be out when an outage occurred, because the account posted an update.
If hosting events or calling representatives feels too overwhelming, simply clicking “follow” from your phone can be a great first step to engaging more with your community.
Hopefully you’ve found something to try with those seven options! I know a lot of people my age who really care about their communities and want to be more involved. It just takes a small step forward, and you never know what amazing things can happen. If you have any other tips for engaging with your communities, feel free to leave a comment below!
Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash
