What Boise Parents, Kids and Teens Can Do – Right Now (like literally, right now!) – to Help Shape the Future for Youth in Boise
- Colleen Cronin
- Jun 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 17
When the City of Boise recently asked: “What kind of city do we want to be – for our kids?”, their answer wasn’t just about cool arts programming or summer camps. It was about the systems, the spaces, and the sense of support, belonging, purpose and agency our young people feel.
Like many community organizations, the city felt a need to respond to an alarming youth mental health crisis. This response has turned into a research-based project called the City of Boise Youth Roadmap.
According to Garrett Lamm, Director of Community Partnerships for the City of Boise, the Roadmap is a community-driven initiative to assess how we’re doing now and where we can do better.
And it starts with listening – to parents and caregivers, to kids and teens, and to any community member who cares about kids growing up in Boise. How? Through a city-wide survey of fun, interesting questions.
Jimmy Hallyburton (left) and Garrett Lamm (right)
“We really want young people to let their imaginations run wild. When you give kids a microphone, it’s the most magical thing. We want this to be a plan BY youth FOR youth,” ~ councilmember Jimmy Hallyburton
Q&A with Garrett Lamm, Director of Community Partnerships for the City of Boise
Q: Why did the City decide to launch this Youth Roadmap?
The initiative predates me, but it was sparked by a community-wide reckoning. Council Member Jimmy Halliburton and my predecessor Kate Nelson helped get it going after the tragic string of youth suicides in Boise. The idea was simple but ambitious: let’s look upstream before a crisis and think about: What could have made a difference?
The goal was to step back and look at all the environmental and protective factors that we know affect youth mental health and ask:
Do our kids have mentors and other trusted adults in their lives?
Are there safe, free places they can just be – outside of home and school?
Do they have access to transportation so they can experience independence and freedom and get to places they want to be?
Are there affordable, convenient activities to engage their minds, creativity and sense of making a contribution to their community?
Are our city parks and programs meeting the needs of kids of all ages – younger kids, tweens … and teens?
Listen to interviews with councilman Jimmy Halliburton on Boise State Public Radio or Citycast to hear his passion for making sure we ASK youth what they need and involve them in making their community the most supportive place it can be.
Q: Who can take the survey, what kinds of questions are there -- and how long does it take?
Anyone can take the survey from now until June 30th, including:
Parents and caregivers
Youth ages 5 to 20 (Teens can easily take the survey on their own. But for younger kids, you can sit alongside them to help walk through the questions.)
Community members who care about Boise being a great place for kids
One of the cool things about the survey is that questions change based on whether you’re a parent, caregiver or community member or whether you’re a youth (ages 5 to 20). For example, the questions for kids are asked in a more casual way. The survey also mixes multiple-choice questions with open-ended ones – and all answers are completely anonymous.
Some sample questions include:
What kinds of rec spaces and programs would make Boise the best city for young people? (climbing walls? music studios? indoor surfing? mental health cafes? urban robotics labs?)
What improvements would make Boise’s transportation system better for you? (free bus passes? more sidewalks? rides for after-school programs? access to e-bikes?)
How could Boise better support your mental health?
The survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes – long enough to get meaningful input, but not so long that people don’t get through it.
“We’d love every parent or caregiver in Boise to take the survey. But we really need as many youth – ages 5 to 20 – as possible to take it.” ~ Garrett Lamm
Q: Kids today often lack a sense of control over their world, which contributes to poor mental health. How is the survey a response to that?
There’s a lot of existential angst right now and a feeling of “What role can I play in steering the ship in the right direction?”
And while taking a survey may not automatically feel like you’re steering the ship, some of the best ideas really do come from people speaking up to say, Hey, have you ever thought about this?
The survey also provides ideas of ways kids might feel more agency in their day-to-day lives, including:
Access to improved public transportation
Leadership program opportunities
Volunteer or job opportunities
Free or low-cost clinics for teens
Text or chat mental health support
“The survey asks people to weigh in on ideas, but we’re looking for new ideas too. For example, maybe having a teen cafe with a mental health professional could increase access to mental health support. We don’t really know – and that’s why we need kids to tell us,” ~ Jimmy Hallyburton
Q: How else are you getting input about what’s working and what might be improved – and when will all the research be done?
We know that Boise has a ton of great parks, splash pads and libraries that have incredible, free programming. And there are many amazing nonprofits in Boise that are already filling in critical spaces that support our youth.
And part of the Youth Roadmap initiative includes teen and parent focus groups and 50 in-depth interviews with local organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA, TRICA, and the Idaho Black Community Alliance. We don’t want to duplicate what these community organizations are doing, but we do want to better understand what they’re doing well and what they may need help doing.
“Come December 2025, there will be a public document, freely available to all – with a summary of recommendations based on our community research and the survey results.” ~ Garrett Lamm
Q: What are “third spaces” and what have some other cities have done to create cool ones?
Our research partner that helped develop the survey is looking into what other cities have done including the creation of more “third spaces,” which are places that are not home and not school.
Third spaces are often non-commercial places where there’s no obligation to be anything other than yourself, and you get to meet other people and simply enjoy hanging out with them.
For example, in Fort Collins, Colorado, they installed hammock hooks in a park to attract tweens and teens to come hang out. It was a creative, low-cost idea that was successful. And it solved an important problem, which is that kids tend to age out of traditional “playgrounds” after about age 12.
What You Can Do Today
Take the Youth Roadmap Survey It’s quick, anonymous, and your voice will help inform policy and programming decisions for years to come.👉 Take the survey here.
Invite Your Kids to Take It Too If they’re young, sit down with them and explain the questions. If they’re teens, just pass it on.
Spread the Word Ask people from your school, sports teams, neighborhood groups or social media networks to take the survey.
Help Boise become the best city in the world to grow up in.
Need a sample message to copy and paste to help spread the word?
Try one of these:
Want to empower your kid (ages 5 to 20) to feel like they have a part to play in the future of their community? Have them take 10 to 15 minutes to take the Youth Roadmap survey and weigh in on what our city needs most to support kids. (From an indoor wave park to sensory rooms to mentorship opportunities, all ideas are on the table to be part of a long-term plan to make Boise the Best City in the World to Grow Up.) Have your kid take this survey (until June 30) and teach them that EVERY. VOICE. MATTERS. Make your child’s voice count!
Looking for a way to spark a meaningful discussion with your tween or teen about what kids their age need? Have them take the Youth Roadmap survey to think creatively about what would make them more excited to get outside, meet up with friends or learn something new! After they take the survey, ask them about the questions they liked most and the coolest ideas! (Eco-playgrounds? STEM labs? Community gardens? E-bike access?) Tell us what kids need!
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