2021

Like many others, 2021 was a year of response for the Office on Youth, as we had to constantly adjust and change the way we do things. And even in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, our community came together. School communities prepared classrooms for in-person learning, community agencies set up hundreds of vaccination events and distributed masks and other safety gear, and our incredible re-imagined Main Library was finally opened to the public. We started to rebuild on the foundation that once was, while embracing the ongoing challenges and new ways of doing things. As we continue to refortify this foundation in 2022, we share with you our top 5 highlights of 2021.

 Read the highlights in English and Spanish.

2020 

Like many others, 2021 was a year of response for the Office on Youth, as we had to constantly adjust and change the way we do things. And even in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, our community came together. School communities prepared classrooms for in-person learning, community agencies set up hundreds of vaccination events and distributed masks and other safety gear, and our incredible re-imagined Main Library was finally opened to the public. We started to rebuild on the foundation that once was, while embracing the ongoing challenges and new ways of doing things. As we continue to refortify this foundation in 2022, we share with you our top 5 highlights of 2021.

As 2020 comes to a close and 2021 rolls in, the Office on Youth reflects on the year that was. Needless to say, with all that happened in 2020, it was hard to catch our breaths. Carbon monoxide poisoning displacing Durham Housing Authority residents; malware attacks on both the City and Durham County networks; and the COVID-19 pandemic wrapping it all in a bow. The first three months of 2020 were a whirlwind, and it never seemed to get easier.

Like many of you, we had a hard time adjusting to our new reality. We thought of 2020 as a year of laying down a foundation for radically shifting youth engagement in Durham. But with rising new needs and old ones intensifying, we had to make decisions about what to prioritize. Yet, much like the rest of the 919 community, we rallied, we regrouped, and most importantly we took care of each other. So here it is, our top five highlights of 2020, and what’s to come in 2021. 

To learn more about the work of the City of Durham Office on Youth and their partnership with Durham County, please visit their website here.