Mapping Ojai's Bright Spots for Youth

Every young person carries a spark, a “zone of genius” that emerges when they feel they belong and have a sense of community purpose. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They are the developmentally appropriate essentials that help youth grow into resilient, engaged, and contributing members of our community. Over the last three years I’ve done some traveling around the country, meeting with educators and community leaders that are finding ways to identify and meet these essential needs. 

In Minnesota, my friend Jose Perez, co-founder of the youth-led movement Good Trouble, is engaging students in redesigning local schools. They are ensuring that young people are co-creators of learning environments that truly work for them. Their message is clear: belonging, meaningful work, and purpose are the foundations of youth motivation and commitment. 

In Pittsburgh, my colleague, Tess Benoit at the History Co:Lab, is working with high school students to build a “civic learning map” of the places where young people feel seen, heard, and powerful. From music studios to museums, from youth councils to afterschool projects, these maps reveal the often undervalued onramps to civic life. The process has sparked deeper trust between youth and adults, and a shared understanding that vibrant communities are built together, across generations.

Here in Ojai, we already have many of these “bright spots”, places where youth are engaged in authentic projects, surrounded by caring adults, and connected to our valley’s unique places and possibilities. I think of OYES, Parks and Rec, Green Valley Project, Nordhoff Dance, Ojai Youth Council, the CREW, among many others. The challenge is that too often these opportunities remain invisible or out of reach to some of the very young people who might benefit from them the most. I believe we can change that.

This fall, we are embarking on our own youth-led mapping project. Together, with the City of Ojai and the Ojai Youth Council, we are asking our young people directly: Where in Ojai do you feel belonging? Where have you done work that matters? Where have you discovered a sense of purpose? How can we engage even more of your peers?

The answers will not only lift up the places and people already making a difference, they will point us toward what’s missing, help us uncover the barriers to access, and inspire us as a community to connect the dots into a stronger, more accessible learning ecosystem for all our youth.

I invite local organizations, neighbors, and families to join us in mapping Ojai’s bright spots and imagining what could be next. To learn more or get involved, reach out to me at jim@rocktreesky.org or visit www.ojailearningecosystem.org.