“We all want the same things for the community, and want to make sure all teens have an opportunity to pursue the future they want.”

FEBRUARY

It is important not only to listen to young people, but to let them lead and support them along the way.

Lilu Torres was part of a team of teenagers tasked with redefining high school programming for the Tierney Learning Center.

Through the design process, the teens landed on the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all definition of success — that each person makes it themselves. Pulling from experiences of their peers, their mentors, and their own lives, the teens’ multifaceted program design offered options for youth with diverse interests and needs, creating a space for everyone at the TLC.

Lilu, and all of the Tierney teens, remind us how important it is not only to listen to young people, but to let them lead and support them along the way.

^{The project: The Tierney Learning Center in South Boston is a hub for youth and community growth and learning that found itself in need of new options for high schoolers, who were aging out of their youth programming. Agncy guided a team of six young people to design a program with teen expertise and experience at the heart of it.}