Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada's Community Role Models program was featured in a Community Development Learning Forum Wednesday night that drew a crowd of more than 75 prospective activists to Arlington's Central Public Library, according to the Arlington Connection. "The county-funded initiative aims at inspiring young adults to become active in social issues and volunteer work."
Said Tejada, "Government cannot just continue with business as usual. We have to create a forum where young people can participate. It is important that we engage the diversity of this community. Diversity is not just about race. It is about having different perspectives.
The forum featured a panel discussion with voices from Arlington's government, business community and social services organizations including:
- Jim Byers, director of marketing for Arlington's Cultural Affairs Division, who "encouraged local youths to get involved in the county's arts scene as a way of building new collaborative ties." Byers said he learned about the powerful role of the arts in shaping a community through working with a group of young Latino jazz musicians.
- Roseanne Campbell, community resources coordinator for The Arlington Community Temporary Shelter (TACTS).
- Virginia Patto with The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.
- Palma Strand, a professor at Georgetown University and representative of the Arlington Forum, a civic organizing group. "It's mostly about relationships," she said. "When people get together to get things done, that's community development."
Also cited in the article were Ed Hallen, 22, from Tennessee who said, "I've only just moved to Arlington, and when I heard about this, I thought it would be a good way to get involved in the community.” ryan Simmons, 23, came looking for opportunities to teach."I graduated from the University of Maryland last May, but while I was there, I took some classes in teaching English as a Second Language and taught some students. It was very rewarding, and I'm hoping to get involved in another ESL program here, in Arlington."
