Grayson Stevenson and Kennedy Thomas say the inaugural ‘Teen14-Day’ at .ZACK Urban Ballroom added a needed perspective to the array of 314 Day celebrations in the area.
“This is our first big event coordinated around 314 Day St. Louis,” said Thomas, a 16-year-old sophomore at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School. “It’s an event that’s for teens, by teens.”
The teens belong to Mayor Tishaura Jones’ Youth Cabinet. They said ‘Teen14-Day’ focuses on youth mental health and civic responsibility. The St. Louis Mayor’s Youth Cabinet (MYC) consists of St. Louis city high school students who provide insight into issues affecting the lives of youth in the city of St. Louis. Through volunteer service projects and support of municipal government leaders, the MYC was created to strengthen communities.
They were joined at the March 16 event by 314 Day co-founder Terrell ‘Dip’ Evans, mental health professionals and representatives of the mayor’s economic development team for a panel discussion of issues relevant to teens: mental health, gun-violence prevention, and financial literacy.
“We have a lot of things for teens as it relates to mental health, getting a start in their financial lives and being financially literate and really, just trying to talk about some of the most pressing issues, and giving teens a real voice,” said Stevenson, 17, a senior at St. Louis University High School.
Stigmas that surround mental health and reasons teens are reluctant to seek help when dealing with the trauma of grief and violence were a part of the conversation. Experts also shared valuable information about financial planning and creating and maintaining good credit scores. Panelists and teens also shared how the community can highlight more positive stories on St. Louis by bridging the gaps between generations, helping to create a city that our youth want to live in and eventually impact as leaders.
Zenique Gardner-Perry, Teen-14 Day panelist and St. Louis Youth Engagement & Safety Committee co-chair, said her interest in youth safety and violence prevention stem from a personal experience.
“My nephew, when he was 16, was a perpetrator of violence,” Gardner-Perry said. “He is currently serving a prison sentence. But I also know the backstory of how he came into the circumstance that he’s currently in.
“I knew he was longing for closeness with his family. His father was absent and in and out of prison, and his mom struggled with mental illness. He had a host of challenges.”
These are the same challenges that high school students see facing both perpetrators of violence and young people at risk. “I know what kind of support they need,” Gardner-Perry said. “We really need to be figuring out how to help young people process some of the challenging and traumatic experiences.”
Teen-14 Day will help adults better serve and hear what young people need and want, Gardner-Perry said.
“We don’t [have] enough conversations that involve those who are most impacted,” she said.
“I think adults have a lot of ideas on how to keep young people safe, how to keep them engaged, and how to keep them active, but I think the best way to get that information is to directly go to the youth and hear from them.”
After many positive and impactful discussions, attendees got things turned up with a live DJ, colorful, flashy lights, virtual reality equipment, and food. “It allows you to have a voice outside your school and truly make that impact with your community,” said Stevenson, MYC chair.
The organization will establish an alumni association over the next two years to serve as part of a supportive network for future cabinet members and people with similar interests who want to be involved in the city of St. Louis.
