Imagine Greater Tucson 2010-11 Phase I Community Conversation and Survey Statements Related to A variety of affordable and accessible youth activities and opportunities

1	3-6 is the time when most teenage pregnancies happen
2	A lack of a full range of activities for youth (what happened to the Rave be safe driving rave night!)
3	A new Census Bureau report ranks Arizona 49th in spending on education. Tucson needs to do a much better job on improving the educational levels of our children and insisting on getting a better and greater return on our educational investment.
4	Accessible higher education creates better opportunities for youth and adults (attending school for the first time, going back to school, or switching careers)
5	Activities - not much to do for teens, kids, or the elderly
6	Activities are important because it builds communities
7	All back yards have walls around them. Neighborhoods in Oro Valley are not like the ones we grew up in. More opportunities for kids to play and neighbors to meet each other.
8	Although Tucson is not a 'Blood in blood out' city, there is still a lot of gang activity here. We need more things for our youth to do to keep them occupied and out of gangs.
9	Because my children have fun and exercise
10	Better opportunity for my children to stay in Tucson and be employed. More economic resources to support the community - public spaces, arts, culture
11	Concern for kids having a good education and quality job opportunities � we're creating a 3rd world country
12	Creation of intergenerational activities creates a sense of place. Youth value their community and we create a community that is vested in itself.
13	Development and entertainment activities for children and teens
14	Find ways for teenagers to belong to the community
15	Fun activities for children
16	Fund education first and foremost. Our children need and deserve the opportunity to be educated so they can participate in our society with knowledge and effectivenes
17	Get youth more interactive with nature (no video games)
18	Give kids something active to do
19	Give kids something to do
20	Have more free places for children and teens to hangout and keep busy
21	I appreciate all the opportunities for service because of how bad our demographics are in this county. We were # 1 in crime, top 10 in worst education, #2 in poverty as a State, top in teen pregnancy etc.
22	I grew up in a city dominated by northern European descendants, all white. Tucson has given our children and selves the opportunity to know and share in Native American and Hispanic history and cultural traditions.
23	I had the opportunity to visit Miami FL in the early 90's, and while it wasn't the place I'd want to live, was impressed with the blend of old and new. I visited two years ago and was SHOCKED. Not only had the infill in the city totally changed the entire dynamic, it obviously provided business and job opportunities. I could only hope that sometime before I die in the next twenty years, that something positive actually happens about the regrowth and emergence of Tucson as a player for jobs, business, and schools that are given the tools to educate our kids.
24	I have 4 kids. I want all the kids to have a safe place to go and do fun and safe things
25	I have known too many high school students who got pregnant, and saw their opportunities limited; have seen too many neglected children whose parents were still children.
26	I have two children and I would like them to get the best education possible. Also, kids are the future. We need to improve our school systems so that the children are prepared to handle their responsibilities in the future. One day they will be running this town, and country, and if we don’t provide them with the right foundation to do so, they will not be at a disadvantage.
27	I have two youth in their adolescense and they have nothing to do on the weekend
28	I like the fact that parents can get involved in schools and contribute to their children's education. But some parents need to be made aware of this opportunity
29	I think we need more sight seeing, centers to help teens stay out of the streets
30	I work in education and have for years. Snap out of it, like it or not our youth are our future, we need to do something about being 50th in the nation!
31	I work with teenagers and an alarming number of them are graduating without basic reading and writing skills. Education is vital to the future of this community!
32	I would like every person in the city to feel safe and cared for: every child should get a good education, and every person should have access to affordable, quality health care; a safe place to live; food security; and the opportunity for regular (preferably meaningful, useful) work.
33	Increase involvement and participation of teens/youth in community-building
34	Increase the number of youth and the opportunities for children so as to avoid gang participation
35	Invest in youth to move away from destructive activities
36	It is what makes a good work/life balance possible. It's great for finding things to do with my family (kids included).
37	It provides youth and many opportunities for things to do.
38	It would be fun to have more community events in town during the week that adults and children alike could attend. I think that would make the community closer in general.
39	Keep teens out of trouble, even simple things like midnight basketball and teen theatre/arts groups help
40	Kid friendly activities, parades, Tucson Carnival - needs to be advertised more
41	Kids need something to do
42	Lack of an education for parents, results in poor education for children - the parents aren't aware of or don't have the resources to locate the best schools and education opportunities
43	Lack of community facilities, i.e., parks, youth activities
44	Lack of public transportation � no way to get into town (teens)
45	Less car driving will lead to fewer teen deaths behind the wheel
46	Limits opportunities for majority of children
47	Lots of resources for youth to get out and do meaningful and/or fun things
48	Middle school can be a training ground for dysfunction. Kids are not thriving
49	More K-12 opportunities in the arts (dance, theater, etc.), productive outlets for young people
50	More activities for kids would deter vandalism
51	More activities for teens
52	More affordable youth activities
53	More amusements geared to youth -specifically more things to do
54	More community centers and activities for teens
55	More economic opportunities for my kids to stay.
56	More economical or free events for kids and teens
57	More educational and recreational activities for our youth to keep kids out of detention centers. Alternative programs for youths like community service for kids
58	More fun, and easy-to-get-to activities - better access for youth
59	More kid-friendly activities for families
60	More opportunities for children to be active.
61	More opportunities for students
62	More opportunities for youth
63	More opportunties for youth to be productive and engaged in positive activities
64	More places for teens and young adults to hang out
65	More sports activities for the youth
66	More teen parks, BMX, etc.
67	More things for teenagers to do
68	More volunteer opportunities for youth
69	More youth activities and opportunities
70	More youth activities spread out across town - not just downtown
71	My children did not receive as good educations as I did in my youth. Our educational outcomes are terrible and this affects the quality of life here: increased crime, drives away businesses, many youth with limited opportunities
72	Need diversity in child care opportunities
73	Need for better and more opportunities for youth after school
74	Need more youth activities, positive options vs. gangs; Question Posed by Participant: What is happening with Downtown Revitalization and Rio Nuevo?
75	Need to make this a place where are children and grandchildren want to stay because of job opportunities
76	Need to re-align priorities. Our youth will one day be running things, and they need a good education to do it well
77	Opportunities are not good for our kids
78	Opportunities for Vail students � District goes out of its way to ask students �Why� and are encouraged to question.
79	Opportunities for children
80	Opportunities for youth
81	Opportunity for children
82	Other cities, eg Austin, TX, Providence, RI, Portland, OR have used arts districts to revitalize their urban cores and involved artists in their efforts to do this. I would love to see a downtown arts district that encompasses the entire downtown area, from the warehouses to TMA to MOCA to Temple of Arts and Children's Museum. And then market this vibrant area. Use the Streetcar to make it fun to visit all these places.
83	Our future is dependent upon our next generations be provided the opportunities that will allow them to become productive citizens growing our community and our economy. Stymying education at every turn only harms our future.
84	Our state legislature keeps cutting our kids education to fix their budget and is continually cutting services to the women and poor. I want my grandkids to get the same opportunities and education as I did in the Midwest. To be at the bottom of the barrel for education spending is horrendous. We are condemning future generations to poverty.
85	Our teens and young people have a lot to offer and have really good ideas. I would like to see us have a program, maybe throught the schools, to include them - they live here too!
86	Our teens have little to do all summer except escape the heat by going to the mall. Providing healthy outdoor entertainment venues should be a huge priority for our city. Help our kids be successful by providing good quality entertainment.
87	Our youth are carrying burdens they have no way to cope with. Peer pressure, home life and work. Some lacking job opportunities because out of work adults are taking traditionally young adult positions.
88	Our youth are dropping out of school left and right. These kids are at risk for having legal troubles and remaining on the welfare system. Many end up as teen parents and working at low-wage jobs.
89	Outdoor activities for youth
90	Overprotective parents and invisible, unsocial kids
91	Provide economic and recreational opportunities for our youth.
92	Provide youth activities/space
93	Rural and outlying areas have almost no access to public transportation. Those in Marana and Vail and those far south or far west have limited access to youth opportunities and jobs because of this.
94	Skrappy's Youth Collective
95	The TCC have created problems that need not exist. They have imposed punitive taxes on small businesses resulting in hardship and businesses moving away or being denied altogether. For a city that is growing, it is unfortunate the TCC continues to impose fees and taxes hurting the less fortunate, teens, elderly and those looking to make Tucson a home and business center.
96	The UA gives us the opportunity to be a college town with sports events, museums, the Festival of Books, etc. The more times I can get my kids on campus, the more comfortable they are with it, themore they will see the U. as a place they must go.
97	The educational opportunities provided for my children
98	The preservation of the beautiful Sonoran Desert is so very important, as is the opportunity to experience so many outdoor rereational activities. It is especially important to me to be able to provide them to my children, as I was in my childhood.
99	The young people have to know that we are there for them. The knowledge and the opportunities must be intorduced at the earliest age.
100	The youth in Tucson should have opportunities to become involved in local and community issues and initiative so they can become more responsible and civically-minded citizens
101	There are not enough things for kids to do in this community. I would add affordable skateboard parks; cycling programs; skating rinks; tennis clubs; swim team programs; computer clubs; chess teams; and more. Our youth need to be engaged in this community/region. They need to feel as if they matter and as if they are a valued part of Tucson and the Southwest region. Kids need transportation to and from these activities...where they can travel by themselves in many cases by bus, shuttle, trolley...some kind of public transportation.
102	There are not good opportunities for my children, so they will probably move away.
103	There is not much to keep my teens here after they grad from College, more higher paying jobs.
104	There isn't alot for kids to do after they out grow McDonalds and Chuck-e-Cheese.
105	There should be more teen programs to provide alternative to gangs
106	To keep these people involved in the community and giving them healthy and safe places to do activities
107	Too many young people do not have access to high quality learning opportunities outside the school day causing us to have higher drop out rates, higher obesity rates, and lower college graduation rates.
108	Unfortunately, my children will have to leave the region to find good opportunities to begin and advance their careers. We are losing our greatest asset to other Cities who see economic growth as a benefit.
109	Want weather and parks to help motivate youth and children to volunteer and be inspired to something with their life more outdoor activities. Get vision to get this going
110	We need to attract new companies to Tucson that hire educated, local people. I want children to have the opportunity to work locally in a high paying company.
111	We need to create jobs/opportunities for our children so that they can create lives here.
112	We need to engage our youth more offering them more opportunity to lead, serve and give to the community they live in.
113	We need to improve our commitment to the youth of the community/region. I would create more activities for children and teens.
114	When I was young, there were many things to do. It seems with the passage of time, there are fewer and fewer things for our children to do. Children need things interesting they will want to do and can afford to do besides sitting in front of a tv or game boy all day. And for some, that includes a way to get there as they have parents who cannot afford it, don't have the time due to work or just cannot be bothered.
115	When the state stepped in mandating so called, 'state standards,' which reinforce rote memorization over true critical thinking and problem solving, the quality of our educational system rapidly declined in the region. Public education was meant to serve the needs of the local community. I want to see our communities demand their rightful control over the education of their children. We should allow teachers to motivate children through their natural curiosity, not through the threat of 'state testing.' Clearly, the latter has failed miserably, for it reflects a mentality of the 20th century, and fails to prepare our children for the challenges of the 21st century. This is personally important as I see more and more people finishing high school and being unable to think through basic problems. Forcing teachers to teaching to a test rather than to approach situations with rational thinking and problem solving strategies produce citizens who are inflexible, unimaginative, and ill-prepared to function successfully in a dynamic, ever-changing reality. I want my old age to be spent in a country of innovative thinkers, not in a nation of automatons unable to express themselves or creatively face new situations with a multiplicity of perspectives.
116	Youth activities
117	Youth don't how to communicate professionally (limits their opportunities)
118	Youth need better role models, educators, opportunity, and MONEY!!!!
119	Youth need internship possibilities/opportunities for public high schools