The stories featured here were created by youth and adults working in partnership, for the Vermont Network’s Askable Adult Campaign through the Network’s Reel Talk: An audio project supporting youth and adults to drop the small talk and do real talk. 

Youth invited adults to share about an adult who let them know they mattered when they were young, and the youth also shared stories of their own. These lived experiences shine a light on how adults can do better at supporting the youth in our lives.

These stories remind us what a difference adult support can make for youth, and point us toward the small-but-powerful pivots adults can make to do better at connecting.

Special thanks to our Reel Talk partners Llu Mulvaney Stanak who was our guide, helping us design the project, training us, and editing our audio to create beautiful audio stories; Teppi Zuppo who created the gorgeous illustrations; youth from Mosaic and Atria who hosted and recorded conversations with trusted adults, and the adults from these organizations who supported them.

“In that moment I didn’t want to try and solve anything.”

Listen to M’s story about a moment their dad did a great job supporting them.

How did he make me know I matter?  I just remember him looking at me when he would answer my questions.

Listen to this story from a Vermont adult about the impact of a supportive adult during their childhood and youth.

“My adult was my mom,” Alara explains.  “I think the conversation brought us closer together because she’s busy with work and I’m busy with school.  When I showed her the prompts, she got really emotional and was really grateful that I had asked her to have the conversation.  She was grateful that I opened up to her and that she was someone I could trust.”

Listen to Alara’s story about what she values about her parents’ non-judgmental support.

“Talking to adults has always come easy to me and has also been something I have enjoyed doing,” explains Sylvia.  “I got to share a part of my life that not everyone knows about me and I’m glad to say the adults enjoyed the conversation too.”

Listen to Sylvia’s story about how her teachers supported her during a difficult time.

“If I could share one piece of advice: Listen.  Just listen,” advises Sylvia, a Vermont high school student and Askable Adult Campaign intern at the Vermont Network.  “Sometimes the only thing to say is ‘do you just want to vent or do you want advice?’ Then respect their boundaries and their answers.” Listen to this story from a Vermont dad about remembering that sometimes the best way to support his kid is to just listen.