Chapel Hill launches new youth initiative focused on tweens, teens

Tweens and teens can be a tricky group to reach, but town leaders in Chapel Hill are making an attempt.

The town has launched a new youth initiative called Chapel Hill 4 YOUth, The aim is to develop a more robust youth services network to better serve young people ages 12 to 18 in Chapel Hill, according to a press release. The town is kicking off the effort this week with the first of four community forums. 

"Chapel Hill is a town full of exceptional, diverse, and well-rounded youth from a spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds that could benefit from a more robust youth services network," the release says. "Young people in Chapel Hill, especially 12- to 18-year-olds, are an underserved population. In a college town environment dominated by a major university, the youth who grow up in Chapel Hill are sometimes overlooked."

The public meetings start tonight. Here's the schedule: 

In the coming months, town officials will look at the town's youth service offerings to address gaps and eliminate overlap. The initiative will end in April during the annual teen week and youth fest.

For more information or to get involved, contact Samathryn Witham at youth@townofchapelhill.org.