The World Café, hosted by the Placer County Youth Commission on Wednesday, February 3rd at the Auburn Veterans Memorial Hall, brought together a diverse group of over 60 youth and 40 adults from Placer County to discuss the topic of underage drinking and identify solutions.

Youth represented a wide range of cities, high schools, and organizations, bringing perspectives and experiences from all corners of Placer County.  Adults also represented different localities and agencies spanning across Placer County, and consisted of school principals, city councilmen, school board of trustees, representatives from youth groups, law enforcement, and several county departments.  Notably, the Placer County Board of Supervisors was represented by Supervisors Jim Holmes and Jennifer Montgomery.

After attending their respective training sessions, youth and adults participated in several rotations that provided an opportunity for youth to discuss with community leaders their knowledge and insight concerning factors that contribute to underage drinking and allowing for an exchange of information, ideas, and solutions between youth and adults. 

The outcomes of this event were both positive and promising.  Youth and adults left with reevaluated perceptions of one another, with youth pleased to discover prominent community leaders caring about their experiences and dedicated to making their hopes for change a reality, and adults awestruck by the youth’s passion to take action to positively change their community.  One youth said, “There are so many more adults wanting to help.  I am going to try to put on an event with my peer helping class or with my club.”  “I learned that we all have valuable input – Youth and Adults together.  I am going to go back to different committees I sit on and try to set up a peer mentoring program,” said one adult participant.  Throughout the youth-adult discourse, contacts were established and relationships made with the purpose of working together on future projects.  The event was powerfully concluded with a statement from the adults, thanking the youth for their honesty and insight, and making declarations to work with them in the future to make a difference in countering underage alcohol consumption in Placer County. 

The Placer County Youth Commission is currently working with other groups such as the Coalition for Placer Youth to facilitate this change, and continues to search for other allies who are passionate about bringing about positive change within Placer County.  To contact or learn more about the Placer County Youth Commission and its activities visit http://ucanr.org/pcyc