What does our community need most? What makes Coeur d'Alene special? What does community mean to you?

Those questions sparked conversations across the Coeur d'Alene Street Fair this summer, where members of The Youth Collective invited passers-by to share their thoughts on colorful sticky notes. 

The responses, posted across display boards, are now helping shape a new youth leadership program focused on community impact.

The Youth Collective, a new after-school program facilitated by social worker and counselor Rachael Chappell, will begin its first session this fall. Through project-based learning, students will develop leadership skills while designing and carrying out projects that address community needs.

“We wanted input from people who live here,” said Youth Collective volunteer Maggie Hiltenbrand. “I learned how people feel about certain issues.”

The program is built around the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) Curriculum, developed by Dr. Marc Zimmerman at the University of Michigan. Throughout the curriculum, students collaborate to identify local challenges, develop solutions and implement a project that benefits their community.

Projects could include improving a public space, creating a documentary or organizing a donation drive. The direction of each project is determined by the students themselves.

“There really is no limit to what they can do,” Chappell said. “We are here to engage in a mentoring relationship, not to tell them what to do.”

Over the past year, Hiltenbrand and Chappell have worked with Boise State University Associate Professor Royce Hutson to adapt the YES Curriculum for Coeur d'Alene. 

Their goal is to strengthen young people's sense of connection, purpose and agency while supporting long-term community well-being.

Hutson's research suggests that young people who feel invested in their communities are less likely to engage in violence toward themselves or others. 

As part of the program, he plans to assess participants before and after completing the curriculum to measure changes in well-being and resilience.

“We want to see if there’s movement in some key metrics around youth well-being and resiliency,” Hutson said.

Funding for student-led projects comes through a grant from the Healthy Idaho Grand Challenge Initiative, led by Boise State University. The grant was awarded to Hutson to bring the YES Curriculum to communities across Idaho. 

Last summer, he connected with Hiltenbrand, a local high school activist, and Chappell, who is providing meeting space for Youth Collective participants.

“When Royce approached me, I jumped on it because I love working with teenagers,” Chappell said. “It’s something I’m already passionate about. This just offers the space for it.”

Beyond the research goals, The Youth Collective offers high school students a chance to build friendships, develop leadership skills and create projects that leave a lasting mark on their community.

Chappell is recruiting high school students and hopes to launch the program in September.

For information, contact: [email protected].