May 15, 2024

More Than Just A Game: The Power of Purpose For All Kids

PERSPECTIVES | With Sara Nadelman

Did you have a passion that ignited your teenage years?

Perhaps it was academics, but for many of us, this spark unfolds outside the classroom. After school activities – sports teams, hobbies, clubs, theater, or music – become crucibles where we discover ourselves. In these shared experiences, we push our limits, learn about teamwork and ourselves, and create community. It’s here that we often develop resilience, form lifelong connections and attachments, discover our gifts, and begin to understand our purpose in the world.

My spark as a teenager was competitive soccer.

And while the success of our team absolutely mattered, it was the unwavering sense of belonging that cemented my understanding of my purpose to the whole. No matter who I played on a team with or against, we were all there for the same thing and I met people I otherwise might not and learned things I definitely would not have learned otherwise.  It was that purpose, that sense of belonging, that I believe helped create the conditions and confidence for me to pursue future opportunities and weather difficult situations later on in my life.

Am I who I am today because of soccer? Honestly, probably. 

While concepts like purpose, belonging, and joy may seem difficult to quantify, their absence is evident. The alarming rise in depression, isolation, and behavioral health concerns among youth paints a clear picture: Too many young people are struggling to find their place in the world. According to a 2023 CDC report, emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12-17 in the United States increased by 31% between 2019 and 2020. Coming out of the pandemic, a deeply isolating time, we saw this reality further magnified in our clinical partners’ emergency rooms, inpatient beds and acute care settings flooding and past capacity.

The solutions we once had are no longer meeting the changing needs of youth; this undeniable rise in mental health struggles underscores the urgent need for investment in preventative measures. 

“What if we looked beyond just measuring problems associated with youth mental health? What if we spoke about youth as they see themselves — whole and capable? This shift could transform how we provide services, funding, programs & policies.”

– SARA NADELMAN

From Absence to Abudance: Redefining Youth Wellbeing

The old adage holds true: what gets measured gets managed.

Tracking the rise in youth mental health issues and the effectiveness of interventions is crucial. It unlocks the door to greater funding, resources, and support. Colorado serves as an encouraging example.

Since Children’s Hospital Colorado’s 2021 “state of emergency” declaration, a powerful coalition of public and private partners, policymakers, healthcare systems, and advocates have championed significant investments and solutions for our state’s children. This progress is essential, and the need for more remains.

But here’s a critical question: What if we looked beyond just measuring problems?

Imagine measuring key indicators of youth well-being – like strong social connections or increased school engagement – upstream, as a preventative approach before diagnoses become necessary. Would more kids have the tools they need to thrive, ultimately reducing the strain on our systems? 

Beyond measurement, we believe there needs to be a new narrative about youth – particularly among adults. Current discourse often focuses on deficits and pathologies. Young people hear a message that doesn’t resonate with them, potentially leading to negative impacts.

What if we spoke about youth as they see themselves – whole and capable?

This shift could transform how we provide services, funding, programs, and policies, fostering an asset-based, youth-and-family-centered ecosystem.

The Cornerstones of Joy: Connection & Purpose

Connection, The Bedrock of Belonging: Meaningful connections are the foundation of belonging, from the cellular level to powerful social bonds. Strong relationships profoundly impact us. To combat rising isolation, we invest in partners and policies that foster safe and supportive connections across youth, families, systems, for-profit partners, and communities. This collaborative effort creates and funds programs that increase feelings of belonging.

One area we champion is the power of youth peer-to-peer support.

Youth see things adults often miss and can be each other’s strongest advocates. Gary’s youth-to-youth peer support cohort, comprised of six local organizations (Struggle of Love Foundation, Colorado Youth Congress, Wezesha Dada Center, The Center on Colfax, Girls Athletic Leadership School, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of CO) are learning from each other, growing their programs, and securing sustainable funding.

These organizations connect youth with peers and adults in unique ways, offering prevention services and reducing isolation at its core.

Purpose, Fueling Hope and Resilience: Purpose serves as another key ingredient in fostering the conditions for joy, belonging and thriving.

A 2024 Trevor Project study revealed a concerning reality: “only 25% of 2SLGBTQ+ youth felt there was enough purpose in their life… more than half (56%) did not report having a lot of reasons to live.” Significantly, the study also found that youth who identified with a stronger sense of purpose had a much lower rate of suicide attempts. 

Recognizing the vital role of purpose in encouraging youth well-being, Gary prioritizes investments in purpose-building initiatives. Our primary vehicle for learning here is My Spark Denver, a program co-created by Gary Community Ventures, the City of Denver and Mile High United Way, that aims to increase participation in after-school programs for low-income youth.

In a city where 60% of families cannot afford supplemental activities for their children, this pilot has provided $1,000 to more than 3,000 families to enroll their kids in interest-aligned after school programming to foster confidence, build trusted connections, and encourage positive social behaviors. 96% of families and 96% of youth are reporting satisfaction with the program, and more frequently than not, youth are reporting participating in activities they are passionate about and having positive interactions with adults.

We’ve also seen the follow comments from parents about My Spark:

• “We have been interested in MySpark to acquire the opportunities that other children have for my children. After school sports can be the difference between children who feel included and persist to graduation, and those who don’t.”
• “My child’s name is Alison. She is a bright smart girl who is very outgoing and is determined to take cooking classes. She has trouble with bullying and I think this will be a positive experience for her to be happy and excited about something. I’m interested in this program to give my child an opportunity that I can’t financially give her.”

Our Theory of Action: Cultivating Joyful Wellbeing

Cultivating joyful wellbeing includes purpose and connectedness while also ensuring young people have access to early interventions at the right time and in the right ways. This includes early diagnosis, access to diverse providers, and a prevailing narrative that makes it okay to ask for help.

At Gary, we specifically target our funding and investments towards solutions that disproportionately impact BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth and families. We understand that systemic barriers like racism and homophobia have created unique and larger hurdles for these communities. We aim to leverage our resources to dismantle these barriers and empower all young people to thrive.

We’re constantly searching for new ways to advance policies, build ventures, and fund organizations that prioritize connection and purpose as a preventative approach to both alleviate the need for youth to seek higher acuity care and ensure those services are available for those who need it most. Just like in soccer, where every player contributes to the team’s success, we all have a role to play in ensuring every child in Colorado has the chance to thrive.

Do you have an initiative that supports youth wellbeing through purpose, belonging or joy? We’d love to hear from you.

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