2024 Youth Needs Assessment
Every three years the Community Foundation surveys young people (9th through 12th grade of high school) in the five-county region of Northwest Lower Michigan (Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau). The main purpose of the survey is to understand the evolving needs of regional youth so the Community Foundation and Youth Advisory Council can set funding priorities. The following is a summary of the findings of the most recent Youth Needs Assessment.
Identified Needs
- Mental health issues, academic stress, and vaping are the top three issues facing youth in our region.
- Social media, substance use, and stress about the future also are important
- Antrim County youth are more likely to emphasize bullying; Benzie respondents are more likely to rank vaping as a significant issue.
Top Issues Young People Face in Five-County Region
Question: Please select what you see as the top three most important issues you and your peers face as young people, specifically in our five-county area. Please select only three options.
Programs/Activities to Support
- Mental health services and supports, job development/employment, and outdoor experiences are the programs area young people are most likely to prioritize.
- Leelanau County youth are more likely to select arts, writing, and music focused activities.
- Benzie County youth are less likely to select programs that teach time management.
Programs Area Youth Would Choose to Fund
Question: The Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council (YAC) empowers youth to make annual grants to youth programs and activities in our five-county region. If you were given the opportunity to participate, which programs or activities would you fund? (Please select all that apply)
Student Activities
- The majority of students indicated that after school, weekends and summer are all equally important for activities to be available
- 27% indicated after school programs are most important
Best Time for Activities
Question: When is it most important that activities be available?
- Hanging out with friends and spending time on the internet/social media are the top two ways youth spend their free time.
Activities Youth Participate In During Free Time
Question: What do you currently do during your free time? Select your top five
- Many young people cite a lack of time as the number one reason they do not participate in activities offered to youth.
- Lack of access to transportation and ‘not enough money’ were selected by about one in four students overall – these may be addressable barriers that could be reduced to allow more young people to participate in activities
Circumstances That Prevent Participation In Activities Offered to Youth
Question: Do any of the following prevent you from participating in after school or weekend activities? Please select all that apply.
Survey Participant Summary
- Unique school-specific survey links were sent to principals and counselors of 29 area high schools in the 5-county region (Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau)
- Survey respondents are more likely to be female-identified and to be from Grand Traverse, Kalkaska or Benzie county; otherwise we believe the survey is broadly representative of the region.
923 responses from 21 high schools in five counties
- Alba
- Bellaire
- Benzie Academy
- Benzie Central
- Buckley
- Central Lake
- Elk Rapids
- Ellsworth
- Forest Area
- Frankfort
- Glen Lake
- Kalkaska
- Kalkaska Northside
- Kingsley
- Leland
- Suttons Bay
- Suttons Bay Virtual
- St. Francis
- Traverse City Central
- Traverse City Christian
- Traverse City West
Grade
- 9th Grade: 27.2%
- 10th Grade: 28.7%
- 11th Grade: 25.5%
- 12th Garde: 18.6%
Gender
- Female: 54.1%
- Male: 42.7%
- Transgender: 1.4%
- Nonbinary: 1.7%
Ethnicity
- Caucasian: 90.1%
- Hispanic/Latinx: 5.4%
- Native American: 5%
- Black/African: 3.2
- Asian: 2.5%
- Middle Eastern: 0.3%
- Pacific Islander: 0.3%
* Not listed in table for ethnicity; Other or Prefer to not answer (2%)