Youth Takeover recap & announcement of grants

The Natrona Collective Health Trust has wrapped up its first ever Youth Takeover Week, awarding $150,000 in grants for existing third spaces as well as a $50,000 planning grant for a new third space in Natrona County.

Youth Takeover Week is the most recent installment of the Trust’s participatory grantmaking initiatives. Participatory grantmaking (PGM) is an approach to funding that gives decision-making power to community members, particularly those with lived experience related to the issues being addressed.

Earlier this year, a group of community members came together in response to a rise of teen violence in Natrona County, and identified the need for youth third spaces – settings away from home and school where young people can gather and connect. The group also agreed that youth voices needed to be at the center of the creation and support of these third spaces, and soon, the idea for Youth Takeover Week was born.

Twenty-one Natrona County young people between the ages of 13-19 were selected through an application process to fully lead the grantmaking process – identifying existing third spaces to fund and reviewing applications for the planning of new third spaces.

The group convened on July 28 for an immersive, hands-on introduction to grantmaking, nonprofit impact, and youth-led decision-making. They explored the concept of third spaces, mapped existing community gathering spots, identified what makes them successful, and began creating their own criteria for improvement. To capture a broader range of perspectives, participants designed and promoted a third-spaces survey, using social media and other youth-friendly channels to reach their peers. Their outreach efforts paid off, generating more than 200 responses in less than 48 hours, providing valuable insight into what local youth want and need in community spaces.

Trust Program Director Leanne Loya, who planned and facilitated the week’s events, reflected on how quickly the group found their voice. “In the beginning, they were a bit reserved while they were learning and taking it all in – but before long, the conversations were nonstop, and the ideas just kept coming,” she said. “They showed a lot of maturity and critical thought. It was a proud moment for me.”

By midweek, the group had refined their ideas and responses from the surveys into a shared definition of what makes a third space “awesome” and began building a youth-friendly rubric to score real-life project proposals.

With their rubric in hand, participants reviewed presentations from 11 planning grant applicants, evaluating each proposal for clarity, creativity, youth relevance, and feasibility. While Trust staff and volunteers managed the logistics of the interview process, the teens led the conversations – asking thoughtful, pointed questions from a youth perspective to ensure the final decisions truly reflected the needs and priorities of young people in the community.

“They were so insightful with their thoughts and very intentional with their questions to those presenting,” Senior Director of Programs & Community Engagement Samantha Smith said. “They truly displayed good stewardship of these funds.”

Participant Cody Syverson reflected on the decision making process, stating “sometimes in order to find middle ground, you, you have to slow down and take in opinions one by one. The fast pace can be fun but can also be detrimental when not everyone is on the same page.”

Following the two-day interview process, the team awarded a $50,000 planning grant to the City of Casper Recreation Foundation, which will use the funds to begin the strategic planning process and determine the scope of a future third space solution for Natrona County, using a youth-led approach.

“I was very impressed by how thorough their presentation was and their asking questions of us and being vulnerable,” youth participant Kylie Wall said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what ideas they come up with and now many youth participate in the process.”

In addition to the planning grant funds, the group awarded $37,500 grants to four existing third spaces to support and enhance the resources they are currently providing to the community’s youth. These recipients include:

• Natrona County Library
• Mercer Family Resource Center
• Void Outreach
• David Street Station

The week closed on August 1 with a celebration of their work and a shared commitment to follow the progress of funded projects in the year ahead.

Both Wall and Syverson reflected on the experience and expressed their appreciation in being included in the process. “It felt very nice to be able to bring my perspective to the table and help make decisions,” Wall said.

“I enjoyed being able to work and talk with not only adults, but to find common ground with my peers,” Syverson added.