Young people have an important perspective on the issues affecting their lives. Creating opportunities for them to share their experiences can help communities better understand what support they need and where resources could make a meaningful difference.
KYOSA recently held a listening session with troops from Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road as part of our work with the Bloom Coalition’s Social Media Settlement workgroup. Participants shared their perspectives on social media’s impact on their mental health and how they would like settlement funds used to support young people.
The conversation brought youth voices into discussions about resources intended to benefit them. It also highlighted the connection between listening to young people and ensuring they have access to supportive relationships, engaging activities and places where they feel they belong.
Bringing Youth Voices Into the Conversation
Conversations about young people’s well-being should include young people themselves. Adults bring valuable knowledge and experience, but youth offer firsthand insight into how social media fits into their daily lives and what they want from the communities around them.
During the listening session, Girl Scouts had an opportunity to contribute their perspectives to the workgroup’s efforts. Their participation helped connect broader conversations about social media and mental health to the experiences of young people in Kentucky.
Listening sessions create space for that exchange. They give adults an opportunity to ask questions, consider different perspectives and learn directly from the people whose lives may be affected by future decisions.
For KYOSA, this approach reinforces the importance of youth participation. As conversations about settlement resources continue, young people’s experiences and priorities should help inform the discussion.
Creating Spaces Where Girls Can Thrive
The visit also highlighted the value of programs like Girl Scouts. Through opportunities to explore interests, build confidence and develop leadership skills, girls can form friendships and connect with adults who encourage their growth. Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road describes an experience built around discovery, confidence and support from friends and mentors.
These opportunities are especially relevant to the findings in Girl Scouts’ 2026 State of the Girl report. The report highlights girls’ desire for real-world connection and engaging activities, while identifying financial and geographic barriers that can keep those experiences out of reach. It also reports that one in four girls ages 13–17 say social media hurts their mental health.
The findings invite communities to think about what opportunities are available to girls beyond their screens. Where can they pursue a new interest? Who can they turn to for encouragement? Where can they spend time with friends, contribute ideas and try something unfamiliar?
Programs like Girl Scouts offer a setting for those experiences. A troop meeting, group project or outdoor activity can create opportunities to practice teamwork, take on responsibilities and discover new strengths. Those everyday experiences are part of building a community where girls feel supported and included.
Too Many Kentucky Families Face Barriers to Participation
Across Kentucky, many families want these kinds of opportunities for their children but face obstacles to participating.
According to the Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM findings, more than 289,000 Kentucky children whose parents want afterschool programs are not enrolled. Approximately five in six children whose parents want programs are missing out.
Cost, program availability, inconvenient locations and a lack of safe transportation all contribute to this gap. Kentucky’s findings show that 54% of parents cite expense as a barrier to enrollment, while 47% identify the lack of a safe way to and from programs.
These barriers deserve attention alongside conversations about youth well-being. Encouraging young people to get involved in their communities must go hand in hand with making participation possible. Families need programs they can afford, locations they can reach and options that meet their children’s needs and interests.
Expanding access means considering the full experience of participation, from finding an available program to getting there consistently.
Connecting Listening With Action
The Girl Scouts listening session brought together two priorities central to KYOSA’s work: elevating youth voices and expanding access to quality out-of-school time experiences.
Both require communities to make room for young people. That includes inviting them into conversations about decisions that affect them and creating opportunities for them to learn, lead and connect outside the school day.
As Kentucky considers how to support young people through social media settlement resources, we believe access to meaningful activities and supportive relationships belongs in the conversation. Youth input can help communities think more carefully about what support looks like and how to make it accessible.
We are grateful to Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road and the participating troops for sharing their time and perspectives. Their contributions reinforce why listening matters, and why more Kentucky youth deserve opportunities to feel supported, connected and heard.
That cost barrier we started with doesn't disappear just because a program is well-designed, it takes intentional partnership to actually remove it. That's what made this night stand out. Between the free Yes Card, a meal made possible through community partnership, and childcare provided at no cost to families, every piece of the evening was built so that money was never the reason a parent stayed home. Programs like this don't just chip away at that barrier — they build something more durable alongside it: a genuine sense of community engagement, where families, schools, and local partners are all invested in the same outcome.
This is the kind of innovative, access-focused programming that gives kids and their grown-ups a real chance to explore, connect, and belong. We're grateful to have been in the room for it, and we can't wait to see where the Parent Power pilot goes next.
