Hear Me, amplifying youth voices in the Hilltop

Hear Me, an initiative of the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, asks Pittsburgh youth to contribute their voices to meaningful conversations through media-making projects. Hear Me’s platform connects youth voices to audiences to inform policies and raise awareness of youth issues.

Last summer, Hear Me joined the Sprout Fund, Allies for Children and NEXTpittsburgh in the Kidsburgh Community Initiative in the Hilltop neighborhoods of the city. Their focus? Addressing the challenges facing the area’s young people and highlighting the individuals and organizations supporting youth in the Hilltop.

Throughout the summer, the dedicated staff at Hear Me interviewed and recorded responses from 38 children from the Hilltop at the Hilltop YMCA Computer Center, Allentown Learning and Engagement Center, and the Knoxville Library. In these interviews, children talked about positive aspects of their community and identified areas where they would like to see change. The audio clips, a minute or under in length, can be heard here.

Many children address the violence in their communities, pleading for an end to it. Other children make note of the value of  resources, programs and dedicated adults working to make change in the area. They also spoke highly of their individual streets, emphasizing that their neighbors and families were good people who didn’t want violence.

The Hilltop YMCA Computer Center, Allentown Learning and Engagement Center (ALEC) and Knoxville Library were all identified as safe spaces with caring people. For more information on the inspiring work being done at ALEC, read NEXTpittsburgh’s recent feature.

The Kidsburgh Community Initiative is made possible through a grant from the Hillman Foundation.