By interesting coincidence, a
couple of reports relating to civic participation were released on September 15
in different parts of the world. First, a collaborative in the United Kingdom
called Pathways through Participation released a report called “Pathways
through Participation: What creates and sustains active citizenship?” A few
hours later, as part of the 2011 National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) in
Philadelphia, “Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools” was released
by a partnership that included NCoC, The Campaign for the Civic Mission of
Schools and CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning
and Engagement.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
USAID gets advice from Tanzanian youth
These Tanzanian youth asked USAID to recognize young people as experts on their own needs and priorities, and not just as the beneficiaries of services.
Youth Consultation with USAID
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Student voice reading list
Student voice reading list
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Youth engagement as a social change strategy
The Forum for Youth Investment sends out a periodic "Ready Thoughts" email blast from its "Ready by 21" campaign. Today's email was about involving students in decisions about their own education.
The Forum is encouraging communities to use the Gallup Student Poll as a starting point for conversations with students about how their schools could be improved. According to poll results, only 50% of students report that they are engaged in school, and engagement declines with each grade.
The Forum article argues that while youth engagement is important for individual student achievement, it can also serve as an important strategy for social change because engaged students become engaged adults. A study by the Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing indicates that engaged students are more likely to become effective advocates for change in their communities by volunteering for political organizations, canvassing, contacting public officials, holding meetings about issues that are important to them and attempting to solve community problems.
This is an important argument for engaging young people in decision-making. When dealing with youth-serving nonprofits and educators, I've often heard the argument that "I'd like to do this but there are just too many other things to get done." Things like helping drop-outs get back in school and helping disadvantaged youth get job training and graduate are clearly important. But these are challenges that exist disproportionately among poor and working-class youth, and they will never really be met unless we think bigger.
Young people need to learn how to advocate for their own needs and those of their families and communities. But if we don't ever allow them to identify problems and recommend solutions--especially in an area like education, in which they have daily, firsthand experience--they may never develop the skills to effect change and the confidence to do so. Affluent communities stay that way because their members know how to advocate for their own needs. Deliberate efforts to engage disadvantaged youth in problem-solving and decision-making can help them become engaged adults who can advocate for their communities' needs too.
Youth Engagement = Student Success
The Forum is encouraging communities to use the Gallup Student Poll as a starting point for conversations with students about how their schools could be improved. According to poll results, only 50% of students report that they are engaged in school, and engagement declines with each grade.
The Forum article argues that while youth engagement is important for individual student achievement, it can also serve as an important strategy for social change because engaged students become engaged adults. A study by the Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing indicates that engaged students are more likely to become effective advocates for change in their communities by volunteering for political organizations, canvassing, contacting public officials, holding meetings about issues that are important to them and attempting to solve community problems.
This is an important argument for engaging young people in decision-making. When dealing with youth-serving nonprofits and educators, I've often heard the argument that "I'd like to do this but there are just too many other things to get done." Things like helping drop-outs get back in school and helping disadvantaged youth get job training and graduate are clearly important. But these are challenges that exist disproportionately among poor and working-class youth, and they will never really be met unless we think bigger.
Young people need to learn how to advocate for their own needs and those of their families and communities. But if we don't ever allow them to identify problems and recommend solutions--especially in an area like education, in which they have daily, firsthand experience--they may never develop the skills to effect change and the confidence to do so. Affluent communities stay that way because their members know how to advocate for their own needs. Deliberate efforts to engage disadvantaged youth in problem-solving and decision-making can help them become engaged adults who can advocate for their communities' needs too.
Youth Engagement = Student Success
Monday, June 6, 2011
Leeds City Museum receives award for youth participation
Much of the emphasis in youth participation work is on providing opportunities for young people to contribute to decisions about social services. Here's a great example of youth participation in the context of a cultural facility in Leeds, United Kingdom.
The Leeds City Museum was recently awarded the first-ever Hear By Right Bronze Award from the National Youth Agency. The Hear by Right Award was established in 2010 to recognize organizations that take youth participation seriously and highlight the contributions of the young people they work with.
The Leeds City Museum worked with The Youth Association (TYA) to meaningfully involve young people in assessing the museum and making recommendations. TYA also helped to facilitate a workshop between the young people and the museum's management to embed participation into the culture of the museum. The museum established a steering group of young people from all ages and backgrounds, called "the Preservative Party." Members attend the museum as "mystery shoppers" and provide input into strategic planning decisions.
"Embedding youth participation into the development of museums is vital to ensure they are relevant to young people," said Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive.
Update: Forgot the link!
Award Proves Youth Participation is More Than Just Talk for Leeds City Museum
The Leeds City Museum was recently awarded the first-ever Hear By Right Bronze Award from the National Youth Agency. The Hear by Right Award was established in 2010 to recognize organizations that take youth participation seriously and highlight the contributions of the young people they work with.
The Leeds City Museum worked with The Youth Association (TYA) to meaningfully involve young people in assessing the museum and making recommendations. TYA also helped to facilitate a workshop between the young people and the museum's management to embed participation into the culture of the museum. The museum established a steering group of young people from all ages and backgrounds, called "the Preservative Party." Members attend the museum as "mystery shoppers" and provide input into strategic planning decisions.
"Embedding youth participation into the development of museums is vital to ensure they are relevant to young people," said Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive.
Update: Forgot the link!
Award Proves Youth Participation is More Than Just Talk for Leeds City Museum
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Ontario seeks youth input on Youth Policy Framework
Local youth-serving organizations and youth groups can also host their own youth dialogs using the ministry's "workshop in a box," which includes a policy literacy toolkit and PowerPoint presentation, a set of dialog questions and related activities, and a participant workbook.
The downloadable resources--especially the policy toolkit--are great resources that could be adapted by other organizations and agencies seeking to involve young people in guiding policy, whether in youth development or any other area.
Where's Your Voice At?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Humboldt County gives transition-aged foster youth a voice
Young people transitioning out of foster care at age 18 or 19 face a difficult road. As they leave an unstable childhood, many of the services provided to minors are no longer available to them. Yet as adults they are often totally alone and without guidance. Phillip Crandall, Director of the Humboldt County (California) Department of Health and Human Services, writes that former foster youth are more likely than others their age to end up incarcerated, unemployed and/or homeless. But Humboldt County offers an illustration of how transition-aged youth themselves can help ensure that county services designed to assist them are effective.
In 2008 Humboldt County established the Humboldt County Transition Age Youth Collaboration (HCTAYC) with the goal of building "an effective, responsive, and youth-informed system of care for transition-age foster youth." The HCTAYC advised the county that real youth engagement meant more than a seat at the table. It meant the county needed to change its culture to one that encouraged and respected youth voices in meetings and decision-making. It meant creating an environment in which youth were viewed as partners.
Since 2008 the HCTAYC has developed policy recommendations to improve mental health services for transition-age youth at the county's psychiatric health facility, children's center and crisis line, and testified before the State Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care. The county's mental health board now includes two youth members. HCTAYC also provides training in leadership and decision-making to other youth, and members attend state and national conferences to develop their skills and increase their knowledge of policies that affect children and youth.
The HCTAYC website includes some excellent resources, including "Committing to Youth Engagement: Creating an Environment that Encourages and Respects Youth Voices in Meetings and Decision-Making," which briefly covers many best practices for youth participation.
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