On October 25, Siuslaw Vision, in partnership with Lane Educational Service District and the Siuslaw and Mapleton school districts, hosted a student-led community event centered on student wellness. The event, held at Lane Community College Florence, focused on identifying student concerns and encouraging community members to work with student leaders on action-based solutions.
The collaborative effort emphasized listening to and amplifying student voices while agreeing on actionable steps to address the issues. “The event brought students and community members together to talk about problems and really listen to each other,” said Ramil Beers, 11th Grade Mapleton Student Council vice president. “It was great to have adults hear our ideas and not ignore them.”
In preparation for the event, Lane ESD staff worked with student leaders from both school districts to identify issues affecting their wellness. Problems students identified included:
-Lack of safe gathering spaces in the community outside of school hours
-Mental health challenges impacting academic success
-Limited transportation options leading to missed school and extracurricular activities
-Vaping is a harmful issue for students at school
-There is a lack of community events to bring people together outside of sports
After the students identified problems, Siuslaw Vision invited representatives of community partner organizations to the October 25 event to help the students in finding solutions. In the morning, before community partners arrived, Lane ESD staff facilitated collective discussions among student leaders from both districts to explore the root causes of the identified problems.
After lunch, community partners joined the students to hear their concerns and assist in identifying solutions. Community partners in attendance included: Connected Lane County, City of Florence, Lane Community College, White Bird Clinic, Lane Council of Governments, Siuslaw Public Library, Siuslaw Family Connection, Siuslaw Watershed Council, Mapleton Lions Club, OSU Extension, Western Lane Crisis Response/Boys & Girls Club of Western Lane County, PeaceHealth and Courageous Kids.
Both school district superintendents and the community partners noted how proud they are of the students who spent the day analyzing the problems and coming up with solutions.
“The students were very thoughtful in how they approached issues and were able to show a level of understanding and maturity that impressed the community partners in attendance,” said Siuslaw School District Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak. “Our local students showed that they were much more than just the negative stereotypes being tossed about in social media.”
Mapleton School District Superintendent Sue Wilson added, “Our students are committed to bettering their schools and communities and this event showcased their abilities to think deeply and plan thoughtfully alongside local leaders who dedicate their professional lives to doing the same.”
Together, students and community partners identified specific problem-solving initiatives that could be implemented within 30, 60 and 90 days.
“Siuslaw Vision follows the energy of our community,” said Stephanie Sarles, Siuslaw Vision’s coordinator. “Our goal is to ensure that these conversations and identified actions are ongoing. As Siuslaw Vision is preparing for our Vision Refresh in 2025, we will keep these problems in mind and incorporate student-led problem solving into our Visioning work.”
“The ideas generated in this session will be included in our district improvement efforts,” Wilson said.
The energy and commitment of all participants shows the importance of student-driven solutions in shaping the future of the Siuslaw region community.
“We are excited to see the impact of the creative solutions the students, educators and community partners came up with at this event,” said Maddy Ahearn, Lane ESD school improvement administrator.
For more information about this event, or about Siuslaw Vision and upcoming initiatives, please email vision@siuslawvision.org or visit siuslawvision.org.
