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Outside Perspectives Podcast

Outside Perspectives Podcast

By: Nicola Wood & Lauren Humphrey
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Two people working in youth development trying to make sense of what is happening to community, belonging, and the systems that once supported young people.

Hosted by Nicky Wood and Lauren Humphrey of the nonprofit Outside Perspectives, this podcast explores the growing cracks in youth development across Connecticut and beyond: shrinking public programs, overwhelmed families, rising costs, fragmented communities, youth disconnection, and the quiet disappearance of spaces where young people once belonged.

After 11 years of fighting to get young people access to meaningful outdoor and community based experiences, we started asking a bigger question: why has it become so hard to simply create spaces where kids can belong?

These are not polished interviews or theoretical conversations. They are honest, evolving discussions from inside the work itself. Through stories, observations, and hopefully conversations with people across communities, schools, nonprofits, recreation, and youth services, we are trying to better understand what young people actually need, what communities are losing, and what it might take to rebuild sustainable relationship based youth development from the ground up.

Because this feels bigger than one organization. And too important not to talk about.

© 2026 Outside Perspectives. Free to share. Please credit Outside Perspectives when reposting.
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Episodes
  • Teen Takeovers & the Search for Belonging
    Jun 2 2026

    Teen takeovers. Third spaces. Phones. Youth work. Emotional safety. What’s actually going on with young people right now?

    In this conversation, Nicky and Lauren are joined by Sadie and Nicolette — two solidly Gen Z young adults working directly with youth through Outside Perspectives programs — to unpack the recent rise in “teen takeovers” across the country and ask a deeper question: where are teenagers actually allowed to exist together anymore?

    Together, they explore the loss of third spaces, the difference between physical spaces and emotional spaces, why many "teen centers" struggle, and what young people actually need from adults. Along the way, they discuss social media, mentorship, camps, trust, group work, and the often-overlooked value of youth workers.

    At the center of the conversation is one core idea: community isn’t something you build with walls first — it’s something built between people.

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    51 mins
  • Why Does Community Feel So Hard Right Now?
    May 27 2026

    In this conversation, Nicky Wood and Lauren Humphrey explore why creating simple, meaningful spaces for young people to connect now feels so complicated.

    Starting with personal experiences from teaching, Girl Scouts, youth sports, and outdoor programs, they unpack what actually helps young people build trust, confidence, and healthy peer relationships — and why those experiences often happen outside the most structured parts of programs.

    The conversation then expands into the growing barriers facing modern youth development: overwhelmed volunteers, shrinking community infrastructure, endless apps and communication platforms, rising participation costs, pay-to-play culture, and the increasing pressure families feel trying to navigate it all.

    Along the way, they discuss two recent political developments:

    • Senator Chris Murphy’s “S.4522 Let Kids Play Act” targeting predatory pricing and private equity in youth sports
    • Connecticut Attorney General William Tong’s investigation into Roblox and online child safety concerns.

    This episode is an honest conversation about what communities may have quietly lost, what young people are still searching for, and what it might take to rebuild spaces where connection, trust, and belonging can grow again.

    Questions or comments about this episode? Email nicky@outsideperspectives.org

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    40 mins
  • The Commodification of Third Space
    May 18 2026

    In this follow-up to “The Disappearance of the Third Space,” we take the conversation further by exploring how third spaces may not have disappeared entirely — but instead evolved into something far more fragmented, structured, and commodified.

    We break down different types of third spaces, the growing barriers to accessing them, and how many traditional community-based spaces have been replaced by transactional or highly curated environments.

    From youth sports and recreation to online spaces and community programs, we explore how rising costs, overscheduling, screens, emotional safety, and changing community structures are reshaping the way young people experience belonging and connection today.

    This episode became less about programs — and more about what happens when community itself becomes harder to access.

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    45 mins
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