Agent For Change After Attending President’s Summit, Shadle Park’s Lowe Ready To Begin Work On America’s Future

Jarrod Lowe was the only teenager to attend the President’s Summit for America’s Future in Philadelphia in April.

Lowe is finishing his junior year at Shadle Park High School. He is an honor student and a soccer player. He also holds a part-time job at Safeway.

“I started to get involved (with the community) when I attended a teen leadership camp last summer,” he said. “The President’s Summit for America’s Future was a symbol. It represented the need for changes in the U.S. as a whole.”

A member of the City of Spokane’s Teen Advisory Council, Lowe was selected to participate by Joanne Benham, a commissioner on the Chase Youth Commission.

He joined a 10-person delegation that traveled from Spokane to Philadelphia for the President’s Summit, which took place April 27-29. The delegation also included NAACP board member Happy Watkins, City Councilman Jeff Colliton, former Spokane School Board member Carol Wendle, and Joe Poss, a recent Gonzaga University graduate who is also on the Nine Mile Falls School Board.

“I selected Jarrod because he’s not a senior. He will be around another year to help with all the follow-up work,” Benham said. “Secondly, he did an outstanding job on the Chase Youth Awards Committee. I saw him to be a very thoughtful young man who takes responsibilities very seriously and is not afraid to speak up. (He was) an important asset to our delegation.”

Lowe was able to go the Philadelphia summit because he applied for and won scholarship assistance from the Points of Light Foundation and United Way of Spokane.

The purpose of the President’s Summit For America’s Future was to determine what kind of youth programs work well. Delegations from different cities had the opportunity to share ideas with people from around the country who do similar work. It gave them all a chance to work together with the goal of creating a healthier environment for America’s youth.

Lowe said that one of the highlights of the Summit for him was the presence of celebrities and dignitaries like President Bill Clinton, retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey and former presidents George Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.

“There were several events, an awards night, press conferences and workshops,” Lowe said. “(The summit) gave me the opportunity to come back and apply what I learned to positively benefit this community, particularly the youth.”

Lowe learned that there are five things that communities should provide children and young adults in order to ensure their success: good health, safety, education, mentors and opportunities.

Benham encourages all young people to get involved in the community, whether it be through paid work or voluntarism.

“First, (teens can) look around and find organizations that need help and volunteers. They can also help with problem solving and decision-making. This can occur in their own school. And there are several community organizations in which kids can decide where dollars are spent,” she said.

Benham adds that many government agencies seek out youth involvement.

The highlight of the summit for Benham was the opportunity to learn what other people are doing in their communities. “The whole experience was very motivating. When you work on something for a long time - and I have been on the Chase Youth Commission for 11 years - you can begin to feel drained and lose energy,” she said. “It was very inspiring to see the president and generals saying the same thing we have been saying (in Spokane) for years - that some things are working and some need improvement.”

Now that Lowe and the other delegates have returned from Philadelphia, they plan to complete several projects that they hope will positively impact Spokane.

“The kickoff will be the East Central Island Project,” he said. “There is an island, which is visible from the freeway, in the East Central community. It is run-down and grassy. We plan to clean it up and make it a memorial for the late Rev. Clifton E. Hamp.”

The delegation also plans to start a pledge book in which organizations, businesses and individuals commit to doing something to help kids. And they’re going to compile a resource book that lists all of the people working to improve the community.

“We are planning several mini-summits as a celebration of what is going on, and these will lead to a larger summit modeled after the one in Philadelphia,” Lowe said.”Our main goal is to provide a better environment for kids to live in.”

Lowe has some words of wisdom for other youth.

“Get involved as much as you can. Play an active role in your community, because we (teens) and those younger are the future of this country,” he said.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Our Generation By Rachel Lindsley, Shadle Park