Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering

Hosted Conversation – Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona
924 N. Alvernon Way,  Tucson
Date of Conversation: Friday, December 10, 2010  Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Facilitator: Patrick Hartley  Recorder: Tahnee Robertson
Number of Tables: 1  Number of Participants: 18
 
Theme 1. Meaningful Employment
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  More volunteer opportunities for youth
  More jobs with purpose for youth
 
Theme 2. Environmental Sustainability and Resource Use
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  The growing food justice movement
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Not enough awareness of local food needs and water use issues
  Water depletion, rivers that are dry that shouldn't be
 
Theme 3. Transportation
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  I like the bike friendly environment encountered here in Tucson
  Easy to get around on bike
  Generally good bikability
  The amount of bikers (cyclist)
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  More reliable city/public transportation
  Transportation for youth
  Bike lanes
  More pedestrian-friendly (more walkable, better better bus systems - encourage communal transportation)
  More maintenance of our city roads
  Cheaper bus fair for the area youth
  Better bike lanes! (please)
  A better transit system
  More lights during the night
  Transportation for youth
  Cars and bikes need to know how to treat each other
 
Theme 4. Drugs and Social Problems
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Meth
  Sexual assault
  Crime
 
Theme 5. Outdoor Activities and Recreation
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  The beautiful sunny outdoors and nice folks to enjoy ith with
  The sunshine and hiking
  Outdoor activities for youth
  The desert
  Youth being able to go up Mt. Lemmon
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Get youth more interactive with nature (no video games)
 
Theme 6. Social and Cultural Events and Activities
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  Community events for youth
  Downtown community for youth
  Things youth can do Downtown, Skrappy's, etc.
  Lots of resources for youth to get out and do meaningful and/or fun things
  Rodeo days - aka getting school off (for youth)
  Cultural events
  4th Ave (for youth)
  Downtown hangouts (for youth)
  Rodeo (for youth)
  Skateboarding year round (for youth)
  Skrappy's Youth Collective
  Skrappy's Youth Collective
  Big City Events (Tucson Meet Yourself)
  Community Events (ex: 4th Ave Street Fair)
  Dry River Collective
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  More places for youth to hang, rap, skate, paint, and express themselves
  Youth-friendly events that don't cost money
  More things/activities to do
  No ice-skating for youth
  More youth activities and opportunities
  More amusements geared to youth -specifically more things to do
  More youth activities spread out across town - not just downtown
  Youth empowerment
  More fun, and easy-to-get-to activities - better access for youth
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  Brings people in to spend money in the local economy
  Self-guided, it connects people even if they are doing it on their own
  Events show pride in Tucson
  Leadership; networking- inspires youth to take on more roles, like politicians, etc.
  Hands-on education; interacting with other members of society
  Shows respect for the community
  For kids that have a rough home life, it gives them a space to be themselves
  Empowers and inspires
  Gains self-value; like they are part of something, respect for self
  Keeps kids off the street; out of trouble
  Gains learning experiences vs. TV watching; more than just keeping kids out of trouble
  Activities are important because it builds communities
 
Theme 7. Weather
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  I like the weather (the sun)
  The weather
  The weather
  The Blazing Sun (picture of the sun drawn)
 
Theme 8. People and Community
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  Youth like having friends and family that live here
  Friends and family live here
  People - the diversity and the partnerships
  Diversity
  Youth like being surrounded by people that look and talk like them
  Youth like hanging out together
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Parents need to be more involved in youth's lives
 
Theme 9. Hunger/Homelessness
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Hunger
 
Theme 10. Political Support and Funding for Education
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Education system - we need more funding and support
  Government investment in youth and non-profits
  Youth need more funding for school activities
 
Theme 11. Politics
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  Tucson is not like the rest of Arizona politically
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  SB1070
  Politics
  Feeling like I'm living in a police state
  Legislature
 
Theme 12. Education
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  The youth like City High School
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Youth need better role models, educators, opportunity, and MONEY!!!!
  Puts the arts, music, and gym back in school
  Youth need internship possibilities/opportunities for public high schools
  Youth need better schools (systematically)
  Better schools with better funding
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  Teachers think "oh well," there is teacher burnout, settling for low standards
  Youth don't how to communicate professionally (limits their opportunities)
  Students don't see a role for themselves in the community
  ESL programs don't value students as adults - Don't see a valuable role for themselves in the community
  It's hard to work with youth when they don’t feel like they have a future
  Link between poverty and a lack of education
  More parental involvement
  More community involvement
  People with education leave when they might stay here and feel passionately about making Arizona great
  Curriculum doesn't challenge students to think and learn for themselves
  In-classroom spending low - showing kids we don't value education; makes businesses not want to come here (affects economy)
  Need more youth voice in curriculum
  Too much bureaucracy
  Value of teachers
  Access to information to make informed decisions
  Losing subjects like cultural studies and topics like evolution - too politicized
  Local brain drain (college grads are likely to leave the region)
  Younger generation currently has a distorted worldview and they will be adults/leaders in the future
  Got rid of funding support for GED
  Education is the root of sustainability - should invest in it
  Graduation rate lowest in the country and they cut funding for education


Volunteer Center Community Conversation and Answers to Questions (Like, Change and Why)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010