It takes a village to… build a community! The hours are long. The work is challenging. The results can be astounding. Community building requires input from all members of the community so that the outcomes reflect the rich perspectives from people of diverse age, gender, economic, racial and cultural backgrounds. These types of collaboration and partnership are frequently discussed but much more rarely seen. They are found in special communities where adults and young people of all backgrounds join together as equals to improve their neighborhoods.
The Innovation Center has worked with hundreds of organizations to engage young people with adults in community change. This article details some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We’d love to hear about your experiences as well. Email Innovation Center project coordinator, Patrick Heiman at pheiman@theinnovationcenter.org to share your stories of positive community change.
Why Bother with Community-Based Youth Engagement?
Getting youth involved with adults in community building is a win-win proposition. Young people get opportunities to become leaders on issues that matter to them, and develop skills that will be useful for the rest of their lives. Adults, communities and organizations that work in partnership with youth benefit from the passion, knowledge and insight that young people bring, leading to programs that are more responsive to youth and the community at large. All around the world there are exciting examples of youth working with adults to create successful programs, revitalize organizations and infuse communities with new voices. Young people in Alaska are engaging in statewide efforts to involve their peers in community decision making. Their results are impressive and have led young people to mobilize to highlight the crisis of global warming. On the Tohono O’odham reservation in Arizona, Native American youth are partnering with their elders to reintroduce traditional foods into the local diet and also market these products to the public. Their impressive results are a testament to the power of strengthening links between volunteerism, community development, and cultural revitalization.
To help in creating outstanding youth centered projects in your area, here are some practical strategies that are designed to support communities, organizations and individuals in fostering youth engagement:
- “Imagine Youth as Resources Today not in the Future” Too often, adults think of young people as ‘future grown-ups’. By doing so, they overlook young people’s gifts, talents, knowledge, and skills that are useful in the here and now. By treating youth as valuable partners in the process, you will find it much easier to create positive outcomes for a community project.
- “Understand the Many Ways Youth Participate in Community Building” from supporting and educating to managing and training, young people can do almost anything. As youth coordinators, they organize people for school projects, and act as staff for community organizations. Working in peer outreach, young people run support groups and staff teen hotlines or referral networks. On boards and councils, they make critical decisions on youth and community needs. Don’t limit young people with preconceived assumptions about their capabilities. Instead, work with them to identify, and focus their skills and interests so that they can make the greatest contributions to an organization’s direction and overall work.
- “Adults Need to Step Back Without Tuning Out” The role of adults in partnership with young people is not to parent. Young people need space to develop their skills and leadership capacities, and determine what their role is in an organization’s development. Give them space to explore, but don’t step back too far. Be available to answer questions and provide feedback. Respect and recognize youth capabilities, but remember that partnerships operate best when they incorporate close communication, mutual learning, and guidance.
- “Buddy Up and Lighten Up” A cross-age partnership between an individual young person and an adult is an excellent way to for both sides to mentor each other and connect emotionally. This type of close communication constantly reinforces the principle that adults can learn as much from youth as youth can learn from adults. While community building can be serious business, make time to infuse work with fun. It keeps attitudes positive and motivation high for both young people and adults.
- “Reward and Celebrate Youth Efforts!” Young people, like the rest of us, need acknowledgment and congratulations for a job well done. Showing genuine appreciation for the hard work youth do is one of the best ways to let them know that, “We need you! You genuinely value your skills and ideas! Our community cannot be strong and complete without you!”
If you are looking to engage more youth in your organization or strengthen programs, one activity that may help you in this process is called “Spectrum of Attitudes”. This activity is a concise introduction to youth-adult partnerships and works for different kinds of learners, incorporating words and drawings as a way to identify existing areas and opportunities for youth participation in the community.
