A conversation bringing together people who are interested in exploring innovative approaches to working with youth

Shel Silverstein’s brilliant and well known poem, “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, speaks to knowing that there is hope in a future that looks different than today. In his poem, Silverstein describes how children know where the sidewalk ends, but beyond the sidewalk, children enter into a world of wonder, imagination, creativity, knowledge, space, possibilities and wisdom. He reminds us that young people hold insights and unique approaches to life that have the potential to cultivate all sorts of new ways of thinking and doing.

This gathering was an opportunity to build on an ongoing conversation with like-minded, passionate individuals who believe in the necessity of listening to the wisdom of our young people in order to build our individual and community resilience. Together we explored how our collective experiences with youth in this Region might help us think more effectively together and we began the process of co-creating a future that is full of innovation, creativity and excitement! Please consider joining this conversation and contributing to this ongoing body of work.

Dabblers, cynics, experimenters, teachers, innovators, bystanders; all are welcome.

"For the children, they mark

and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends"

~Shel Silverstein