As anyone who has ventured along I-91 can attest, social venues in the Upper Valley are few and far between. In the rural community that surrounds Hanover, opportunities for young people to socialize outside of home or school are extremely limited. Rachel Williams and Griffin Shunway, both 17, aim to change that.
Williams and Shunway, seniors at Hartford High School, are two organizers of Youth Cafe, whose mission is to provide adolescents in the Upper Valley with an alternative, low-budget social venue.
"We formed Youth Cafe out of necessity," Shunway said. "There is nothing else to do around here, so it will really bring kids together without forcing them to spend a lot of money."
In addition to creating a social space for youth in the area, the project is designed to provide business training to a number of teenagers. Though Youth Cafe does not currently have a physical plant, the group, which is comprised of former and current students of Hartford High School, is in the process of developing a business plan and incorporating in the state of Vermont. They hope to lease a space for the cafe by the end of this summer and open shortly after.
"A main point of the project is to provide job training," Williams said. "It is going to be teenagers that sit on the board of directors, keep the booking, and work in the cafe. So far I have learned a lot about how to run a business, how to fundraise."
According to Williams, Youth Cafe will act as an arts venue, where teenagers will be given the opportunity to perform and showcase their talent. The group has already hosted a number of fundraising events featuring concerts and performance art.
"[Youth Cafe] brings together kids that like music; we host mostly local bands, and we have had some fashion shows," Williams said. "We want to have teenagers' art on the walls of the cafe. We know this great graffiti artist, and we want people to put up paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture."
Youth Cafe was started in 2003 by Patti Morgan, then a counselor at Hartford High School, who was concerned about the lack of social options for high school students in the Upper Valley. She enlisted the help of Kim Souza, who has since spearheaded the project. Youth Cafe organizers meet weekly at the clothing store that Souza co-owns in White River Junction to discuss their business plan and organize fundraising events. Souza, who was raised in Canaan, N.H., helps the group to navigate the process of starting a non-profit. Her business, Revolution Vintage, has sponsored several events to raise money for the project.
"Having grown up in this area, I know what a challenge it is for kids to find a place to really engage in the community," Souza said. "Teenagers are such an asset to the community. They have a lot to say and a lot to contribute and I think that sometimes their value is under-appreciated."
Souza hopes that Youth Cafe will serve as a common meeting place where a diverse group of adolescents from the community can collaborate in a safe environment.
"The underlying message that I want Youth Cafe to give to the community is that it is a welcoming place," Souza said. "I want to emphasize diversity and inclusivity with Youth Cafe. I want everyone to feel like they can hang out and get involved."
