twenty to thirty something demographic | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Mark Nichols (infothereallybig.com) | |
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:24:14 -0700 (PDT) |
This is a great topic, and it is relevant to most intentional communities.Last year I presented a community plan to some movers and shakers living on an island called Bainbridge about 30 minutes by ferry from Seattle. In the plan for a working educational community I identified two obvious demographic holes: 1) any sort of ethnically diverse population and 2) The 20 to 30 year olds! Though Bainbridge has a very healthy population up 'til the 18 year old cut off, the kids fly the nest and can't and don't come back. Without going into the details of the plan I will say that we all agreed that the absence of these two groups was sad and an obvious demonstration of not yet ideal community. We identified some basic needs of the 20 to 30 year olds that could met in some part by our plan:
1) A chance to continue education 2) Freedom of expression 3) Mentorship possibilities and apprenticeships 4) The ability to come and go5) Financial support (mostly having to do with the unreal relativity between their earning power and their elders')
6) Interesting and creative work and play opportunities 7) Other people of the same age 8) A chance to build and own a piece of something tangible 9) A real chance to give back (like Patty's son's computer contributions) Just a few ideas to ponder, Mark----- Original Message ----- From: <pattymara [at] juno.com>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 9:47 AM Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Carrying on the movement Dear List, Like Rob, both of our children grew up with our family planning, building and living in Tierra Nueva Cohousing (central CA coast). Both of them profess to *not* be interested in carrying on the cohousing movement. Now in their twenties, they live on their own, but guess what? They each live in cooperative housing, sharing space with other twenty-something peers. In my daughter's co-op house in the bay area, they share chores and each cook a weekly house dinner for the house family. Hmmmm, looks pretty familiar to me. When she first left home to attend UC Santa Cruz, she applied many concepts she had learned from her experience with cohousing, including consensus experience, and conflict resolution. Her chosen profession is clinical social work. My son, who is now ready to graduate from UCDavis in computer engineering, helped install the LAN lines for our community's shared internet connection, when he was a young teen, and it served as his required community service for his high school graduation. Now when he returns to visit he regularly repairs and troubleshoots the residents' computer systems, at a reduced rate. He is less inclined to profess community values in his life, but his chosen minor is philosophy, and has grown into a thoughtful and considerate young man. And guess what? One of his pet projects at school is working cooperatively with a team of peers to design and build a smart vehicle. And his research project is writing code for open source programming (also a cooperative venture). Whether or not our adult children actively work for the intentional community movement, the influences from living in community at some time in their lives, permeate who they are and what they bring to the world. coheartedly, PattyMara Gourley, Tierra Nueva Cohousing, cen. CA coast "There is one elemental truth...that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves all. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events...which no one could have dreamed would come his or her way. Whatever you can do or dream, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." Goethe -- "Rob Sandelin" <floriferous [at] msn.com> wrote: Both my children have grown up at Sharingwood. One is about to leave for college, the other just turned 15. Like everyone else who lives here, I would say they are not interested much in cohousing movements and have little interest in other cohousing groups and situations. However, both of them articulate that they know the "real world" is not at all like where they grew up and they are aware of some of the very wonderful kinds of relationships they have living in community. In fact yesterday my youngest had a surprise party which included several friends who did not know about this aspect of her life. I was tickled to watch her give them a tour of "her" community. So I think there is an ingrained learning, which might very well springboard into my kids finding themselves wanting to live in community later in their life after they explore the world a bit. They both very much understand that this is a great place to raise kids and it might not be until such time in their lives that they choose to return. Rob Sandelin Naturalist, Writer The Environmental Science School http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
<((((º>`·..·`·..·`·...><((((º>...·`·..·`·...><((((º>.·`·..·`·...><((((º>.·`
·..·`·...><((((º>·.. ><((((º> ·`·..·`·...·..·`><((((º>.·`·..·`·...><((((º>.·`·..·`·...><((((º>..·`·..·`·.. .><((((º>·.. ·`·..·`·....·`·..·`·...><((((º> -----Original Message----- From: Dahako [at] aol.com [mailto:Dahako [at] aol.com] Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 7:04 AM To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org Subject: [C-L]_ Carrying on the movement Hi - I was talking to my 15-year-old about the conference and she asked why, if we were so serious about carrying the cohousing movement forward, we 1) did not have a plan to help the kids raised in cohousing (our best market) to be able to live in cohousing once they leave their parents' homes (affordability), and 2) did not have any conference sessions or national outreach for the teens who had grown up in cohousing and might want to help carry the movement forward? She and I have talked a bit about this, but I figure you all can help me answer her. Please. Maybe she can get her community service learning hours working for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter answering her own questions? What say, Ann Z? Also, is anyone else having the experience that the kids raised in cohousing, who cannot remember anything else, expect to live in cohousing when they are grown? Or are other kids rebelling? -Jessie Handforth Kome Silver Spring, Maryland "Where I'm still finishing my condo's floors in the second year after move in. The Rembrandt concrete stain is gorgeous and holding up very well except under the chair with rolling wheels at the computer. And I think this will be our first and last stone tile floor (stuff is *heavy*!) once we get the entry hall done." _________________________________________________________________ Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.10.9/417 - Release Date: 8/11/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.10.9/417 - Release Date: 8/11/2006 _________________________________________________________________ Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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- Re: Carrying on the movement, (continued)
- Re: Carrying on the movement Ann Zabaldo, August 12 2006
- Re: Carrying on the movement Rob Sandelin, August 12 2006
- Re: Carrying on the movement Regan Conley, August 12 2006
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Re: Carrying on the movement pattymara [at] juno.com, August 12 2006
- twenty to thirty something demographic Mark Nichols, August 12 2006
- Re: twenty to thirty something demographic Chris ScottHanson, August 12 2006
- Re: twenty to thirty something demographic Rob Sandelin, August 13 2006
- Re: twenty to thirty something demographic Chris ScottHanson, August 15 2006
- Re: twenty to thirty something demographic Sharon Villines, August 15 2006
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