Belleville Teens Selected for By Youth for Youth (BYFY) Program
Belleville High School students Emily Gomez and Faith Waefler have been selected to serve on Dane County’s By Youth for Youth (BYFY) committee. It is exciting to have a chance for high school students to serve in this capacity as they make important decisions about youth-led programs in Dane County. BYFY is a volunteer committee made up of Dane County high school-aged students tasked with making important investment decisions for youth-led county programs. Serving on a committee such as this enables participants to learn to be leaders in decisions impacting their peers locally and offers a launch pad to gain confidence and important skills that will impact their lives now and as they grow to be adults caring about the communities in which they live.
“BYFY members identify critical issues impacting youth in Dane County, establish funding priorities, review grant proposals, and recommend funding from County and City grants to support projects developed and implemented by youth to serve youth.” (https://www.unitedwaydanecounty.org/byfy/)
Learning how to make impactful decisions that allow investments to be made in their local communities is a great way to not only plant the seeds of change, but watch how a high school student’s investment of time and caring on a committee such as BYFY pays out for their peers in real time.
BHS senior Emily Gomez is excited to take part in this volunteer organization. She learned about the committee when her 9-12 Social Studies teacher Mr. Hodgson sent out an email highlighting the organization with information for his students to apply. The application process gave Gomez a chance to state her own concerns that she is passionate about regarding youth in Dane County. Emily liked that her participation in BYFY would help to make a positive difference.
Gomez notes, “This program is going to allow me to make a difference and help students dealing with issues in Dane County and it will provide me with valuable experience.”
For both Gomez and Waefler, the commitment to BYFY will be significant as they serve during the 2023-24 school year. The committee meets biweekly in-person, or on Zoom, and the two Belleville students will help guide the funding decisions for youth-based programs in Dane County through their votes during the time they serve.
Gomez and Waefler are seriously committed to their new roles on the BYFY committee and know that their representation will help shape the work of the organization.
“My role in the organization is to vote on programs to be funded that relate to issues I believe should be prioritized. If a local program applies for a grant then I would maybe be able to vote to give funding to those programs.” says Gomez.
Seeing BHS students take a seat in a decision-making body like BYFY enables a teacher like Chad Hodson to see what he teaches in the high school Social Studies curriculum come full circle. In the end, it is important for all US citizens to care about the communities in which they reside and understand that their voices do make a difference. Gomez and Waefler are about to understand their classroom experiences on a whole new level, as they work together on the BYFY committee this year.
