Putting youth at the center allows them to be seen, heard, and valued 

Youth at the Center is a Cincinnati nonprofit organization that gives middle schoolers and high schoolers opportunities to have a say in their communities and to engage in issues that are important to them. Mental health, inclusion, quality of life, and injustice have all been issues that young people have been able to have an impact on through their participation in the organization's youth-led programs. With a marked increase in depression, anxiety, and stress occurring in youth in our community and beyond, giving them a voice and empowering them to create change is seen as one way to help youth thrive in their communities.
Soapbox Media spoke to Shawn Jeffers, the director of Youth at the Center, and to Deanna Hillard, program manager at Interact for Health, about why such work matters to youth, adults, and their neighborhoods.
The video is part of Soapbox's Amplifying Youth Voices series and was produced by SparkLight Creative Group, Cincinnati. The series is made possible with support from Interact for Health.