When asked, "What improvements would you like to see in your community with respect to environmental stewardship, social equity and economic prosperity," the youth of Chapel Hill responded --and they had a lot to say.

Not knowing exactly what to expect from the Pozen Essay Contest for Chapel Hill-Carrboro high school students, I was pleasantly surprised to find 50 entries in my inbox on the deadline for the contest. A few essays into my 150-page stack, I started to see reoccurring themes. Scratching away at the picture-perfect image of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, our young writers started delving into problems that sit just below the surface.

The message from our high school students is clear. To improve our community, we need to change the way we interact with one another. In regards to social equity, one of the biggest concerns resonating through the minds of our youth is homelessness.

Julia Ganzi, second-place winner of the essay contest, wrote, "If the community could change their attitude into one of empathy, rather than disgust and scorn," then people who are homeless might have a chance of improving their situation. Concerned with their own safety, the welfare of people who are homeless and how homelessness affects our business community, students proposed ideas to improve and expand the current Inter-Faith Council shelter for the homeless, to increase services available to the homeless and increase the amount of affordable housing.

Sustainable communities address all aspects of the triple bottom line. According to our students, one of the ways to encourage environmental stewardship is to improve the way we get around. Suggestions ranged from reducing our dependence on foreign oil by carpooling more often to more bus routes, from making more bike lanes to adding sidewalks to Rogers Road, where one student says they frequently see people walking in the street.

Other students suggested incentives for community investments in solar panels. First-place winner of the essay contest Pete Singer suggests "replacing all administrative vehicles with alternatively powered vehicles or alternative fuels."

Many students wrote that we need to consider the diminishing capacity of our landfill. The essays suggest that the people of our community need to see recycling as a civic duty. Perhaps this would be easier if, as one student suggests, there are public recycling bins near public trash cans.

By improving the looks and social underpinnings of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, third-place winner Chelsea Gould suggests that "it would attract new businesses to locate here." To promote economic prosperity, another student would like to bring stores that sell "basic household necessities" back to Franklin Street. Making shopping more convenient for those living or working in downtown and filling in vacant store fronts.

To be sustainable, we need input and action from all members of community. By integrating all aspects of the triple bottom line, the youth of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have demonstrated their ability to think critically about their community.

I would like to thank all of the students who took the time to think about how they would improve their community. I have enjoyed reading your ideas and look forward to telling even more people about them.