This is another in our new series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse.
In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing accessible and trustworthy information.
Stay inspired, stay creative,
Those Nerdy Girls&+
I asked a bunch of kids what a “healthy neighborhood” looks like to them. This is what they told me.
Where We Find Ourselves
Our current information ecosystem is messy, with heaps of information that need to be distilled, clarified, challenged, and made more accessible. As we wade through the mess, we must ask ourselves: Is this the sort of ecosystem that we are comfortable with our young people – the scientists, skeptics, and decision makers of tomorrow – inheriting? Are we stewarding science in ways that will allow the children of today to design the healthiest possible futures for themselves and their communities?
I promise, these questions are not meant to send you into an existential tailspin. Instead, they’re meant to push us to think about science (and science communication) as a multigenerational effort – an effort that both reaches back to cite historical contexts and leans forward to address the interests and needs of the coming generations.
➡️🤓 My personal lore surrounding Those Nerdy Girls is that our logo features sideways glasses because we are committed to interpreting data from “a different” angle, an angle that extends far beyond the people and concerns immediately in front of us.
In the spirit of leaning forward, I recently asked groups of students from the Near East and Northeast sides of Indianapolis* to share their thoughts on the pitfalls and promises of public health with one simple(-ish) question: What does a healthy neighborhood look like to you? The beauty of shaping child well-being is that – unlike with historical figures – we don’t have to infer what they’re thinking based on ancient texts. As educators, parents, mentors, neighbors, world-builders, and researchers (with high ethical standards, mind you!), we can simply ask them, and be intentional in how we listen.
⚖️ Health Equity Alert: Before I get to the good stuff, it’s important to note that not every child – or adult, for that matter – shares their thoughts using the written or spoken word, both of which can feel limiting in how they uphold power dynamics. *This is especially true for communities who have been systematically pushed out of opportunities and spaces to compose their own stories on their own terms (for context: every child I approached – from fifth grade to high school-age – was either Black American or Latin@, given the demographic makeup of the city’s Near East and Northeast neighborhoods).
Sometimes, listening takes the form of seeing, or even feeling. To capture the different ways that young people understand the worlds they inhabit and the worlds they want, several of the kids were asked to draw their “ideal healthy neighborhood”. This summary relies on my observations collected when speaking with, writing alongside, and making art with the young people I encounter through my work.
The Good Stuff
Young people’s visions for a healthy neighborhood broadly fell within five categories:
💧🍎 Healthy Food (and Drinks): The younger children repeatedly mentioned water as one of the centerpieces of healthy neighborhoods. In a society where flashy brands of sugary beverages are clawing for everyone’s attention, I found this pleasantly insightful. They were also interested in eating fresh produce and having opportunities to try new fruits and vegetables (especially fruits – the sugar stronghold strikes again).
🏃🏾♀️ Healthy Activities: The Near Eastside group placed a lot of value on neighborhood cleanups that promote community hygiene and active living. One ten-year-old handed me a drawing of a perfectly paved sidewalk devoid of trash or cracks, explaining that it would make it easier for her to walk her dog and for her grandma to enjoy the outdoors in her wheelchair. Her classmate chimed in to say that walking and running are good for your heart, which is why we need better sidewalks. If I took anything away from this exchange, it was that children’s minds are more wired to systems-level thinking than we might assume (also, hello, Public Works Departments!).
🔎 Other kids elaborated on their dreams of eating fresh and exotic fruits by explaining that we needed to garden, tend to the pets and other animals that fertilize our soil (yes, really!), and go on more adventures. When’s the last time you’ve had a proper adventure?
🌲 Healthy Places: Students repeatedly noted how much they appreciate any efforts that neighbors make to keep local parks beautiful, with regularly watered grass and colorful flower beds. I’ve seen firsthand how urban gardens can double as afterschool hangout hotspots. Kids like to be around things that grow, and that they have a direct hand in nurturing. Many kids also picked high schools and universities as “healthy places.” It wasn’t so much about classrooms or books (though one proud student did crayon to perfection a grand library over several days). What stood out was the running tracks and free gyms that made these places feel healthy. Notably, more than a few children homed in on their households, with two children opting to draw quilted beds where they felt comfortable getting a full night’s rest. [archived link].
🫸🏽🫷🏽Healthy Habits: Many of the neighborhood-wide habits that children deemed “healthy” aligned with the recommendations you’d find from any trusted public health source. Everyone recognized the importance of exercising and maintaining good personal hygiene. However, I was most moved by how often the kids approached the concept of neighborhood health from a social, emotional, and collective interest standpoint. A trio of high schoolers made the point that getting to know your neighbors was essential to promoting a sense of familiarity. With familiarity comes safety, and with safety comes one of the most frequent words I heard throughout our discussions: calm. More than anything, the teenagers wanted spaces of quiet and calm – spaces where their joy was anchored by the ability to simply exist without always glancing over their shoulders. In a world where young adults – especially those from certain marginalized communities – are often stereotyped as loud and disruptive, many of them are intent on pushing back against these disempowering (and sometimes self-fulfilling) narratives. This can only truly be accomplished with the support of…
🧑🏽…Healthy People: In short, young people believe that the healthiest neighbors are neighbors who are responsible, attentive, committed to peace and harmony, willing to collaborate with others, and non-judgmental. When they believe that the adults in their lives will not judge them for their ideas, curiosities, and behaviors, they’re more prone to trust them and come to them in times of trouble. One student mentioned that they enjoy where they live because it is so diverse, and another wished neighbors better trained their pets so that their block could feel (once again) quieter and safer.
🧐 When I presented these findings to a group of Indiana-based health equity professionals, one woman contended that if the youth want us to be non-judgmental of them, then they need to make an effort to be non-judgmental of us. A point well taken, but if children learn from our example, whose responsibility is it to break the cycle of judgment first?
What all these “data points” tell me is that young people need to be active co-creators in the healthcare landscape that they’re inheriting. And that begins and ends with us creating open, safe, and fundamentally inclusive spaces for them to move their bodies, interact with their environments, explore tucked-away community assets, and dream big dreams without reservation or apology.
How, exactly, do we fund, build, and sustain these spaces? As we move from ideating to implementing, I again encourage us to ask the kids themselves. Humility is a time-worn practice that hasn’t failed us yet.
Stay safe, stay well, and stay curious!
Those Nerdy Girls
