Highlighting America’s 100 Best Communities for Young People
Broomfield, Colorado
By Christopher Epps
Formerly part of four different counties, Broomfield incorporated its city and county in 2001. While Broomfield is a relatively small community, it is listed among the 100 fastest growing counties in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Like most six-year-olds, Broomfield is experiencing growing pains. Being the state's first new county in almost a century has its challenges. Rapid population growth driven by a technology boom is pushing this community, northwest of metropolitan Denver, into rethinking its future.
One unique and noteworthy trait this community exhibits is its ability to maintain a true sense of community. The development of preventative services and programs to strengthen and promote healthy families and avoid crisis in the community is a priority of local government and the community. New independence gave Broomfield fresh opportunities to help its children, from college readiness programs to vocational skills support, and increased incentive for unity and collaboration.
One successful by-product is the Youth Advisory Committee, helping kids learn effective grant writing, fund development and philanthropy. Its high school students oversee the distribution of income from a permanent youth endowment fund, affording them direct impact on programs and services.
While engaging teens is a priority, taking care of the youngest community members and their families is important too. Broomfield's Nurturing Parenting Program, serving kids birth through five and their parents, runs free, 16-week biannual programs to teach nurturing skills and offer support. And recognizing that happy mothers make happy children, the Work Academy Program for young mothers and youth offers instruction in resume writing, interviewing skills and job search strategies.
Broomfield's bold new 20-year plan, outlining a comprehensive map for the future, includes the well-being of its youth as a critical component for success. Demonstrating that young people are a policy priority for the community, the city council established the Health and Human Services Advisory Committee to address matters related to community needs and priorities with respect to public health and human services. City Council appoints committee members and reserves one of the 15 positions for a youth member.
Other initiatives that led Broomfield to become one of 100 Best Communities for Young People include:
Broomfield Workforce Center (BWC) has programs available to address high school graduation and college readiness, as well as dropout recovery such as GED programs, if returning to high school is not an option. Career assessment, academic and vocational testing, training programs, job search assistance and job referrals are all available to Broomfield students. Case Managers assist youth with skill attainment, educational advancement, and obtaining work experience. In addition, the BWC includes the Educational Opportunity Center, administered through the local community college, which provides financial aid, career exploration counseling, and admissions assistance.
Metropolitan Mayors and Commissioners Youth Awards Program (MMCYA) is a program recognizing youth between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity through positive change in their environment or have contributed to the community. MMCYA is used as a mechanism to promote positive youth development throughout Broomfield. The program enables business, community and civic leaders to demonstrate support for Broomfield youth and provides an opportunity for the community to focus on positive young people who serve as role models for their peers.
Partners Mentoring Program is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk young people by helping them develop a positive self-image, a sense of belonging, and an acceptance of responsibility through one-on-one mentoring. Broomfield helps fund partners who serve the city and county’s at-risk population of youth ages 8-17 years. Youth referred to the program are matched with a screened and trained adult mentor for an average of three hours a week for at least one year.