At our November YouthSpeak event, young people from Washtenaw County were asked, "What does safety mean to you?" 

16 young people shared their experiences and recommendations with 14 local and state policymakers, including Sheriff Jerry Clayton, who co-sponsored the event with WACY.

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Themes from the speeches focused on external and internal safety such as sexual assault, mental illness, community violence, LGBTQ safety, and school culture. Speakers urged policymakers to create safer communities by working to reduce stigmas and victim blaming, to increase mentorship opportunities, hold others accountable for their actions, and improve school and community safety.