In the fall of 2024, the Erie Town Council established a teen involvement program, to hopefully increase and recognize teens in Erie, Colorado.
What began as an ambitious idea to involve youth in civic dialogue has quickly grown into one of the town’s most promising new initiatives: Erie Youth for Change. The program, launched in the fall of 2024, invites local teens to actively participate in shaping their community, whether by identifying local challenges, proposing solutions, or even influencing policy through organized efforts and presentations.
Savannah Shifrin, the lead supervisor of the program, was hired by the Town of Erie in 2024, her new job came with a blank slate but a major goal: To build a teen engagement program from the ground up. “I was hired and then sort of tasked with creating this group,” Shifrin recalled. “And it felt really intimidating. The whole time I thought, Oh, I wonder if anyone’s going to show up. I wonder if they’re gonna come back.”
The concept for Erie Youth for Change was originally championed by Councilwoman Emily Baer, who advocated for the creation of a staff role to oversee the group of teenagers. “Emily had this idea and sort of advocated, actually, for my position to be created,” Shifrin said. “I think I first heard about it during the interview process.”
Shiffrin, who was new to Erie at the time of the conception of EYC, was very apprehensive to begin with, but that later changed. “The teens as a whole really committed to the year,” she said. “I was super impressed with all of the ideas, but mostly just the commitment, because I know how busy you all are and how scheduled your lives are. I felt really honored that this was a priority.”
For Shifrin, part of the joy has been getting to know Erie itself, through the perspectives of the young people who’ve grown up in the town their whole lives.
“I didn’t live in our community before I got this job, so it has been really cool to learn about Erie through your eyes,” she said. “To see all the great things about it, but also some of the limitations.”
While many adults work with youth in instructional or disciplinary roles, Shifrin’s job with Erie Youth for Change is intentionally different. Here, teens are encouraged to lead, and adults are expected to follow their direction.
“I really feel like they’re not my goals—they’re your goals,” she explained. “I am just here to connect you to the resources and figure out what you want to do.”
Another supervisor of the group, Aidyn Hoffman joined the program just recently, but has already expressed her shock at the group’s progress and willingness to participate, “I think seeing how much you guys want to be involved has been really cool. That’s definitely different than what I thought. It’s cool how involved everybody wants to be.” Hoffman says.
That shift in power dynamics can be disorienting for adults used to structured environments. But for Shifrin, it’s the core of what makes the program work.
“Teenagers are just more open,” she said. “You’re more willing to try things. You’re slower to say, ‘That’s not going to work,’ and more likely to say, ‘Let’s just try it and see what happens.’ That’s kind of fun.”
Shifrin also notes that teens often bring a collaborative energy that’s refreshing compared to more cautious or siloed adult environments.
“There’s a lot that’s the same between working with teens and adults,” she said. “But the willingness to embrace new ideas—even things like AI—that’s something I’ve learned from you all.”
For Shifrin and others involved, Erie Youth for Change isn’t just about checking a box for teen engagement—it’s about genuinely building a community that listens to and learns from its younger residents.
“I really like working with teenagers because you’re at a stage where you’re ready to reach outside of yourself and focus on bigger issues,” she said. “Fifth graders, for example, are still in that internal mode—they’re not quite ready to look outside themselves yet. But teens have great ideas and a willingness to engage with the world around them.”
One of the program’s early successes has been creating a space where students feel empowered to share concerns, propose ideas, and think critically about Erie’s present and future. Whether that means brainstorming public events, talking through local environmental concerns, or advocating for accessibility and inclusion, the group has built a reputation for thoughtfulness and commitment.
And, crucially, it’s made the adults around them think differently, too.
When asked what she hopes to see from the program in the future, Shifrin kept it simple: consistency and empowerment.
“I just want teens to keep coming back,” she said. “I’m really excited that so many of you are interested in returning next year.”
In just a few months, Erie Youth for Change has transformed from a fledgling idea into a force in the town’s civic culture. And while the teens are at the heart of the movement, the adults facilitating it have been changed, too, sometimes in subtle, unexpected ways.
