A 9-Year-Old Asked City Hall for a Skate Park. Two Years Later, They Just Broke Ground.
Most 9-year-olds do not attend town council meetings. Jordan Price of Millbrook, Vermont not only went to one — he signed up for the public comment period, stood at the microphone, unfolded a handwritten speech, and made a clear and researched case for why his town needed a skate park. The council listened. Two years and several grant applications later, crews broke ground last week on the Millbrook Community Skate Park.
The Speech That Started It
Jordan had been skateboarding in parking lots and driveways for two years when his parents mentioned that some towns had dedicated skate parks. He asked why Millbrook did not have one. His parents said it had never happened. He decided he would try to make it happen.
He spent three weeks preparing. He looked up how skate parks are funded, researched injury statistics showing dedicated parks are safer than street skating, identified a piece of town-owned land near the community center as a possible location, and wrote out every point by hand.
At the council meeting, he introduced himself, stated his age, explained the problem — he and his friends had nowhere safe to skate — and presented each research point calmly and clearly. He ended by saying: “I know money is complicated and decisions take time. I wanted to ask in person because I think this matters.”
A council member’s daughter posted a video clip of the speech. It reached 8 million views within a week.
Two Years of Real Follow-Through
The council did not approve the skate park on the spot. Real government processes do not work that way — and Jordan, to his credit, understood this. What they did do was connect him with the parks and recreation director, who agreed to mentor him through the actual process.
Over the following two years, Jordan:
- Co-wrote three grant applications. Two were approved, totaling $85,000.
- Organized two community fundraisers that raised an additional $22,000.
- Attended 11 more council and planning committee meetings.
- Worked with a skate park design firm to build a community-informed design plan.
- Presented the completed proposal at the final budget approval meeting.
The total project cost is $180,000. The remaining balance came from the town’s parks budget, approved unanimously by the council.
What Jordan Says About All of It
“At first I thought asking once would be enough,” Jordan says with a laugh. “Then I realized it was actually a real project. Like a really long school project, except it was real.”
He says the two years taught him something important: “People will listen to you if you do the work before you ask. You can’t just want something. You have to understand it, explain it, and keep showing up.”
The skate park is expected to open in September 2026. Jordan says he is already planning to teach younger kids to skate once it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did a 9-year-old actually succeed in getting a skate park built?
Jordan Price presented a researched, well-organized proposal to his town council, then spent two years doing the follow-through work: co-writing grant applications, organizing fundraisers, attending planning meetings, and working with a design firm. His persistence and willingness to actually do the work — not just advocate for the idea — is what made the project succeed.
How can young people advocate for community projects?
Jordan’s approach is a practical model: research the idea before presenting it, show up to public comment periods at council meetings, connect with local officials who can guide you through the process, expect it to take longer than one ask, and be prepared to do real follow-up work — grants, fundraising, planning meetings — rather than just the initial pitch.