After what has been an amazing and transforming lustrum, the Valparaiso Parks and Recreation Department already has its eyes set on the next Five Year Master Plan. This time they are getting more input from citizens than ever before. They will be hosting a series of open forums, focus group discussions, and surveys to learn more about what the community wants and needs. The first panel will be amongst the 8th graders of Team Peace at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
“Students need a voice,” said Denise Koebcke, the Valparaiso City Schools Student Leadership/Climate Coordinator. “Team Peace is about student leadership and student based activities. It needs to be genuine to their culture and generation. If we don’t seek that, we won’t know what influences them.”
The students had a lot to say about the state of their parks system, and what improvements they would want. They want equipment they can rent, to play sports like badminton or lacrosse. An indoor adventure facility with ziplines, a pool, and a rock climbing wall would entice them to use the recreation system a bit more.
A lot of students wanted better conditions for the running paths they already use, like shading for the elderly or improved surfaces. In parts of the town, their sidewalks could use a little TLC.
“It’s hard to reach this age group,” said John Seibert, the Executive Director of the Valparaiso Parks Foundation. “We’re really seeing this as Valpo Parks the Next Generation, setting us up for the next 15- 20 years. These students, we hope, will be leaders in our community. We value their opinion. We want a place they can feel connected to, what better way is there to find out what they want than to ask?”
The students in Team Peace have already shown leadership prowess and a penchant for volunteer work. They care about the community and are eager to improve it in any way they can. At least once a month they are out in the world, helping other students or volunteering in their own private ways.
Discussing their city with Austin Hochstetler, the Senior Project Manager of PROS Consulting in Indianapolis, was a great way for them to get involved on another level. “Youth are the next users of the park,” said Hochstetler. “How else are we going to get them engaged in the parks, to involve them in it in the earliest phases?”
