A new partnership between the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC), the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC), and the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund is aiming to “empower the youth voice” in local discussions about child abuse prevention. The campaign, called #MakingNoise, will use a three-part social media video series format “to not only educate the public about child abuse, but also to empower youth across the region to spread awareness about how to prevent it.”

The first video, which can now be viewed on YouTube, is a brief overview of the goals for the project. The second, which will discuss matters of technology safety, will premiere on February 22, while the third and final video will debut in early April. Those interested in following along with the series can do so via the Community Foundation YouTube page. The Community Foundation and TBCAC will also be sharing the videos on their respective Facebook and Instagram pages.

Ginger Kaldec, executive director of TBCAC, said in a press release announcing the #MakingNoise campaign that the project was especially important given that child abuse tends to be a somewhat “taboo” topic that even “most adults avoid talking about.” She praised the youths involved with the YAC for being willing to start a conversation around child abuse prevention, and for the “creativity in both their messaging and dissemination” they showed in devising the campaign.

The YAC involves youth from the Community Foundation’s five-county region, which covers Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties. Members of the council work together on a variety of projects involving “philanthropy, volunteerism, and community leadership.”