By Simonne Campos | Advance Community<\/p>\n
The idea of a \u201cthird place\u201d was introduced by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg in 1989 to describe the essential spaces in our lives that exist outside of home (our first place) and work (our second).<\/p>\n
Third places like coffee shops, community centers or libraries serve as informal gathering spots where people can unwind, engage in conversation and build meaningful social connections. They are the glue that binds communities together, offering a sense of belonging and support that neither home nor work can fully provide.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Oldenburg focused on adults, the concept of a third place is just as vital \u2014 if not more so \u2014 for youth. For teens, home is their first place and school is their second. But many young people lack a consistent, supportive third environment where they can simply be themselves.<\/p>\n
Adapting the third-place model for youth means creating safe, welcoming spaces where teens can grow socially and emotionally, access mentorship and feel seen and heard. These spaces are particularly critical for those facing difficult circumstances, providing the stability and encouragement they may not find elsewhere. When thoughtfully designed, third places for youth can serve as powerful launchpads for personal development and long-term success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advance Community\u2019s Show Up! program is a powerful example of what a third place can look like in action. Held over four weeks each summer, Show Up! invites high school students into a fun and engaging environment where they earn certifications like CPR and first aid, build professional skills and explore career paths through hands-on learning and meaningful conversation.<\/p>\n
It also offers a great way to build community and meaningful relationships with others. Some of these students may be the first in their families to pursue higher education. Many are unsure of the steps needed to get there. School counselors are stretched thin. Parents may not have the experience to guide them through college or job applications.<\/p>\n
Programs like Show Up! steps in to fill the gaps \u2014 offering not just instruction, but exploration, encouragement and a vision of what\u2019s possible. And the great news is that Advance Community offers a third place for students year-round offering monthly events.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third place programs don\u2019t just benefit students \u2014 they benefit the entire community. When teens are given the place and support to thrive, they grow into adults who contribute meaningfully back to the community. The return on investment isn\u2019t just emotional, it\u2019s economic. A well-supported young person has the opportunity to become a future leader of tomorrow. A leader who is knowledgeable, engaged and a true advocate for their community.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It’s essential for our community to support nonprofits that create vital third places where young people can thrive. Local businesses can become financial partners and Valley residents can volunteer and offer their gifts of experience and counsel.<\/p>\n
Together, our community can ensure that every teen has access to the tools, connections and confidence they need to succeed. Because when young people have a place to show up, they rise.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: Simonne Campos of Phoenix is a youth program coordinator for\u00a0Advance Community<\/a>\u00a0in Phoenix. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org.\u00a0We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Simonne Campos | Advance Community The idea of a \u201cthird place\u201d was introduced by American sociologist Ray…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10119,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,718,11110,1589,11109,11106,11107,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,11108],"class_list":{"0":"post-10118","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-community","12":"tag-mentorship","13":"tag-phoenix","14":"tag-show-up","15":"tag-third-place","16":"tag-third-places","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa","23":"tag-youth"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114737110477530573","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}