Big Bear High students present All Children Thrive findings, ask council to consider youth council

A team of Big Bear High School seniors on the All Children Thrive (ACT) youth team told the Big Bear Lake City Council on Sept. 10 that local youth face mental-health stress, limited safe activities, and few year-round opportunities, and asked the council to support youth input and consider creating a youth council.

The presentation was led by Megan Meaders, executive director of the Mom and Dad Project (Bear Valley Community Health District), and five student speakers: Kennedy Meadors, Madison Wachtler, Isaac Dehaan, Aiden Kazukule and Ezekiel Cruz. Meaders described the Mom and Dad Project’s services and said the ACT program scoped local needs with a youth-centered community needs assessment.

The students highlighted that ACT connects local youth with city officials, offers leadership training and advocacy experience, and has sent members to Sacramento to meet legislators and observe youth policy models in other cities. Isaac Dehaan said the local ACT team conducted a community needs assessment and that responses showed Big Bear youth are especially concerned about mental health, lack of safe spaces and limited future opportunities.

The students asked the council to continue welcoming youth input at meetings, to dedicate resources to youth programming, and to support creating a formal youth council so young people could have a recurring role in advising city policies and programs. “If other communities can give youth a seat at the table, why not us?” the students said, noting that eight local youth were accepted into the ACT team and several have worked with state-level ACT activities.

Mayor Perry Melnick and Council members responded positively. Melnick said he would “put a pin in a youth council” and Council member Rick Herrick asked Meaders to provide a specific request to the city manager for further consideration. Council member Chuck Putz and others complimented the students’ presentation and offered support for follow-up coordination.

Meaders said Mom and Dad Project offers parenting education, home visiting, car-seat safety, school-based behavioral-health services, bilingual community health workers and basic needs assistance, and that ACT was selected as one of 13 statewide pilot projects. Meaders and the students emphasized ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) as a local concern and described ACT’s prevention-focused, community‑based approach.

The council did not take immediate formal action but directed staff to accept follow-up materials. Council member Herrick asked Meaders to forward a specific proposal to the city manager so the city could consider concrete support and next steps.

The request will return to staff for follow-up coordination; students and Meaders said they would provide materials to the city manager.