Youth: Focus on the Future

- Greg Darnieder, citywide interviewee

Adults, in face-to-face conversations with youth, discover their city’s future is no longer an abstraction but an urgent reality. The abilities of young people to see with fresh eyes, to play, and to ask honest, open questions, disarms the cynicism that passes for sophistication. When interviewees in Imagine Chicago’s intergenerational interview process were asked to describe the image that best summarized their hope for the city’s future, they most often responded by pointing to their young conversation partner and saying: "You!"

Imagine Chicago has modelled the core philosophy that youth are integral and indispensable to any effort seriously committed to focusing on positive community futures. Imagine Chicago’s staff has always been largely comprised of young adults, including Chicago Public Allies <www.publicallies.org> and university interns. By virtue of their energy, curiosity and eagerness to learn and to act, youth have the potential to call adults to account for the hope that is in them and inspire them to action.

Imagine Chicago considers youth the most natural allies in the work of imagining and creating hopeful community futures. Throughout Imagine Chicago’s history, we have continuously sought to carve out spaces for youth to assume their natural and generative role. While not always an easy task, given certain social expectations and dominant attitudes, we have found that the leadership of youth has helped Imagine Chicago grow in dynamic and profound directions. We urge you, who are interested in imagination as a social movement, to embrace this most remarkable resource in every aspect of your work. A good place to start is by contacting local youth organizations interested in expanding opportunities for youth leadership and action.