High school students tell city they want jobs, entertainment and fewer blighted properties

Marlena and ECDA staff presented results from community-conversation sessions held in High School government classes during the May 5 committee meeting.

The data matter because youth priorities feed into the five-year plan connected to the city's CDBG funding and help the city shape workforce and placemaking work aimed at retaining young residents.

Marlena said students were asked to identify top priorities and that the results closely mirrored citywide community conversations: students prioritized employment opportunities, blight and housing. She said students repeatedly expressed a desire for local employment and entertainment options rather than traveling outside Kankakee.

"Most students said no. They are not planning to stay," Marlena said when asked whether students intend to remain in Kankakee after graduation. Staff emphasized that young people’s plans can change but that the city should account for current sentiments when forming long-term development and workforce strategies.

Students praised local food and access to nature, walking trails and the river as positives. But many respondents said Kankakee lacks safe, engaging places for teens to gather; staff noted students named places they travel to outside the city for social and recreational options.

ECDA staff said the classroom sessions reached roughly 50 high-school students and that the findings will be added to the citywide community-conversations dataset to inform the CDBG five-year plan and future youth-focused programming.

Ending: staff offered to share raw comments and survey outputs with committee members and to continue including youth voices in future community outreach.