Voices of Youth: Lessons learned from listening to young people

When Rapid Growth launched Voices of Youth, the goal was simple: to create a space where young people could learn storytelling skills and share perspectives often missing from community conversations and local media.

What we discovered over the last few years is that young people were asking for something more.

As Rapid Growth celebrates its 20th anniversary, one lesson keeps coming back — programs that succeed elsewhere don’t always arrive in West Michigan fully formed. Our community has its own strengths, challenges, and opportunities. The best initiatives evolve because the people they serve help shape them. 

Since we debuted it here in 2023, Voices of Youth has become one of the clearest examples of that. It took root the moment we started asking a simple question: What do we gain when we actually listen to young people?

From the start, the program gave students emerging from two rough pandemic years a chance to develop writing and reporting skills outside the classroom. We were intentional about it, too — pairing students with experienced journalists and editors who could genuinely mentor them, not just oversee them.

The stories these young people produced consistently reminded us that they see their communities differently. Mental health, belonging, sustainability, civic engagement, identity, the environment — and within every piece, a perspective that made you think about something familiar in a way you hadn’t before.

That matters, especially coming from a generation that — like mine — was often told to be seen and not heard. That was a loss. Those missing voices likely contributed to the unnecessary divisions we’re still working through today. Perspectives that could enrich our shared life keep getting left out of the conversations that might actually help shift things.

Going deeper

As our program grew and we faced the very real challenge of covering a lot of geographic ground, we slowed down and paid attention. And another pattern started to emerge.

Some students wanted more than a single published story. They were thinking about scholarships, college applications, internships, careers — and they understood that this experience could help them compete. They weren’t just learning journalism. They were looking for a pathway.

That realization helped shape what we informally call Voices of Youth 2.0 — where students who complete their initial training can keep going, taking on new storytelling opportunities that reflect the world they’re about to step into … and now with experience.

Today, the program emphasizes preparation over publication as the final goal. Students are encouraged to explore ambitious topics, engage in multiple rounds of editing, and create work that meets professional standards while also being compensated like our team of journalists. The aim is for them to leave with a tangible, high-quality product that helps open doors in their future.

What makes this meaningful is that it remains accessible. Voices of Youth has maintained its openness to students from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and economic statuses. This didn’t happen by chance; it required dedication and flexibility. Thanks to support from community partners and funders, young people can access professional mentorship and a platform that connects with thousands of readers across West Michigan.

In many aspects, the program embodies the same factors that have fueled Rapid Growth over the last 20 years. Communities become more resilient when more residents have the opportunity to influence their neighborhood’s narrative. Innovation generally begins with listening. Including a variety of voices is not only essential journalism but also crucial for creating a cohesive and sustainable structure.

Stories from Voices of Youth continue to teach us, not only about what the future holds but also about ourselves. I adopted a personal rule early on: avoid resistance. Instead, sit with what young people share. Let it simmer in your mind. Some of my clearest insights have arisen from following a teenager’s thread and seeing where it led. 

Investing in young people means more than giving them a voice now; it’s about helping them develop the confidence and skills to be active participants — influencing the conversation well beyond this program’s first intention when we launched it in 2023.

To learn more about Rapid Growth’s Voices of Youth project and read other installments in the series, click here. This series is made possible via underwriting sponsorships from the Steelcase Foundation, Frey Foundation, PNC Foundation, and Kent ISD.

If your organization would like to support Voice of Youth, please donate here, then send a note to tommyrapidg@gmail.com to let us know the intention of your gift.