The teens in Burnsville, Minnesota, had no place to skateboard. They were getting in trouble for skateboarding in public places, and they thought that was unfair. So they met with the mayor and suggested that the city build a skateboarding park. Because the mayor liked the idea, she told the teens they needed to go to the City Council to get it approved and funded. She advised them on what steps they should take.
Students in Burnsville, Minnesota helped construct a public skateboard park.
Campaign Skateboard Park
The teens started a campaign to get support for a skateboarding park. First, they contacted local business people, met with them in person, and explained what they were trying to do.
Then, they wrote letters to the business people asking for money to help build their skateboarding park. They pointed out that the park would help them by eliminating skateboarding in front of their buildings and by offering advertising space. Everyone would gain something. Many businesses gave money to show their support.
Getting Local Support
In the next step, the teens met with the people who lived in the area. They explained how the skateboarding park would help the residents: there would no longer be skateboarding on sidewalks or in public places. The local people were convinced to sign petitions showing their support for the park.
Now the teens had local support and some of the money to build the park. However, they still had one more step to take: they had to present their plan to the City Council. The City Council would