8. Encourage Youth, Diversity, and Inclusiveness

One of the most often heard goals of economic development is to keep the kids from leaving town to find work. The desire is certainly understandable. The focus might, however, be misplaced. As journalist Bill Bishop asked, "Do we really want our children to stay at home and miss out on the bigger world?"

An important part of this bigger world involves recognizing that a variety of opinions, cultures and ethnic groups makes up America. The point it seems is to create an environment that nurtures our youth while they are here, prepares them to go out and succeed when they leave, and encourages them to return if they desire. The same type of environment provides a milieu for new types of people who, in turn, can help make a city more attractive.

In the process, people are neither shackled nor exiled, but are given more options. If a community collectively recognizes diversity as an important part of its fabric, then the individuals in that community, whether young or old, are better prepared to deal with the larger world.

Opening local government and other civic organizations to youth and people whose roots in the community do not go back multiple generations is a way to allow everyone to contribute to, and benefit from, citizenship. It establishes an environment where we not only contemplate what we think people need and want, but allow them to be part of the decision process, thereby recognizing that what is good for them is, in turn, good for us.


Principle In Action

A Hometown Internship Program sent college students to there hometowns to intern in their cities’ governments.  The participants expressed an eye opening experience and became to better understand the system of local government.