Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network “Pop Ups” Bring Together Local Youth and Community
The Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network and United Way of Santa Cruz County are “popping up” at various Santa Cruz County destinations to offer the community a new, fun, and meaningful way to bring youth, community members, and youth-serving organizations together.
The Youth Action Network Pop-Up events are family-friendly and focus on offering games, activities, food, and fun for middle – high school youth while connecting them with local youth programs, resources, and community leaders. The Youth Action Network consists of organizations focusing on youth well-being and committed to amplifying youth voices from across the County. The Youth Action Network acknowledges that there are so many outstanding programs within each community and want to support youth in connecting with programs to help them thrive and step into their greatness.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the well-being of many teens resulting in loss of connection with friends and caring adults, impact on mental health, and access to after-school programming. Youth Action Network jurisdictional representatives, which includes elected officials and county staff, have been partnering with the Network to support and champion the pop-ups in various regions of the County (Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Live Oak, Capitola, and Watsonville) to support youth in connecting with their community and each other.
“The Pop-Ups are a fun way for youth to find a way to engage with their community and find new opportunities and friends”, says Natalia, Harbor High School Student and Vice-President of YAN Steering Committee.
The Youth Action Network includes elected officials including mayors and city councilmembers. “I look forward to the opportunity to gather with local youth and agencies to discuss interests, share opportunities, and learn how we can support one another”, says Donna Lind, Mayor of Scotts Valley and YAN jurisdictional representative.
“This is an opportunity for us as a network to come together in a new way to support youth in our community. We are all striving toward youth-well-being and we want to let youth know that we care and that their voices matter”, says Amanda Gamban, Youth Action Network Community Impact Coordinator with United Way.
The Live Oak Pop-Up event will be held on June 29, 2022, at Shoreline Middle School. The Watsonville Pop-Up event will take place on July 27th at the Watsonville City Plaza. To find additional details about the events, please go online at www.unitedwaysc.org/yan_popups.
Youth Action Network Pop-Up events were made possible by community partnerships with City of Capitola, the City of Santa Cruz, City of Watsonville, the City of Scotts Valley, Cradle to Career, Live Oak School District, London Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz Teen Center, and UC Santa Cruz. Local businesses or community organizations interested in partnering or getting involved in the pop-up events can visit online at www.unitedwaysc.org/yan_popups or email Amanda Gamban at [email protected]
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United Way of Santa Cruz County
United Way of Santa Cruz County works to create a healthy, thriving, and safe community for all. UWSCC is leading a movement to focus donated resources on programs that have significant impact within our county; to move the needle by addressing our greatest needs. For more information, please visit www.unitedwaysc.org
The Youth Action Network consists of organizations focusing on youth well-being, leadership, and committed to amplifying youth voices from across the County. For more information about the Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network, please visit http://www.sccyan.org/meet-the-network.html
