At a recent conference, we convened a discussion around youth and what our thoughts are about engaging youth.
Here were the rough notes that I took! It took me a while to write these up, so I feel like I’ve missed some important things, but still, here’s what I remember.
There were a bunch of fantastic people there!
· Victoria Henry, Public Outreach
· Hannah Renglich, Five Minutes to Midnight
· Anna Strom, Renewal Partners
· Nathan Gilbert, Laidlaw Foundation
· Charles Tsai, Global Youth fund
· Alanna MacLennan, Projections Youth
· Tom Willians, GiveMeaning
· Joseph Mouzon, Network for Good
· Marta ?
· Allan Wong, Power of Hope
Youth have it figured it out – it’s the “adults” that need the help. But youth need to be addressed and respected. Youth experiences must be honoured. They can’t be token window-dressing, which often happens with a single “youth in the room”. Meaningful youth engagement is a long and tricky process but must be part of any program. We need to be blind to age and bridge intergenerational communities.
Youth are under siege, being lied to and being targeted by message that are “buy buy buy”. It is a serious state of affairs with youth bored and fighting no to have their differences suppressed. Media literacy is a key part of helping them through this world. This is something we adults can help them with.
Yet they have the answer. They are being lied to but responding with humour, for example with Youtube spoofs.
Digital storytelling is an effective way for youth engagement, given that it is logical for them to use technology. But the role of stories is far beyond just a tale. We need to expand the idea of stories into helping them interpret the world. For example, youth media could shoot stories for not-for-profit orgs and then these are used to tell a story.
Some principles that we need to follow while working with youth:
- suppression of difference must be avoided (don’t constrain them to our adult value system)
- dialogue continuously (and check your language around your beliefs)
- invite youth without restriction
- level the playing field
- provide food
- trust them
- be careful representing the youth to funders, clients
- avoid stereotyping
We also need to example public policies in Canada, for example early childhood education and crime. They need to reflect our current thinking about youth.
More comments that were said verbatim are as follows.
Victoria- we need to have language more accessible, sometimes youth are seen as window-dressing, the experience of being the “youth in the room”
Hannah – online sometimes fails to build a community, how to bridge communities?
Nathan – the laidlaw foundation really practices youth engagement
How to give youth power & representation (they are different) Laidlaw builds in a policy piece – Nathan’s job review is partially completed by youth
Charles – peer to peer learning is key
- this I believe was Global Youth’s essay contest
- high quality youth recordings
- 25 different countries including Togo
- important to have projects that engage them
- to share beliefs
- recently, spent a week in NYC
- there is a barrier in terms of structures i.e. short periods prevent deeper knowledge sharing
Alanna – Projections has a film/video film mentoring aspect linking back to education. small, but long term skills and tools that are needed from POV of students, focus on struggle – they need a chance to be kids, be young
Tom – media literacy is important issue. What is the agenda behind the message? What spoofs of ads are youth responding to? They are being lied to but responding with humour. The Internet is getting worse – either flame war and/or leave
Joseph – had a big interest in youth – reel vignettes and use rich media to tell their story salesforce, bayback has youth media shoot not-for-profit orgs and then use to tell story. Community foundation supports youth media to tell the story of non profits
Marta – youth power, youth are our future – we need an integrated approach that is a holistic view
Allan wong – why I do my work is very related to youth boredom and suppression of difference. Youth are alienated and disconnected and it has gotten to a point where it is a serious sickness, but at the same time they are their own antidote – work is around creativity and engagement of youth. Yes it is dire situation but being real around the communities around issues is important. How to bring sense of aliveness/ creation / constructivism
From here on, it was more of a free input, so I lost the thread of who said what…
Youth need creation and reflection time
It’s logical that they would use technology
But it has to be a meaningful dialogue
just thinking of youth can lead to a token youth
Bigger question of how do we actually be blind to age?
empowering
How do you get information to them
where are you getting your information
how to get them to take action
how to honour their experience
only recently has school been part of this what they want is real engagement connect them to bigger projects
resource is teenage liberation handbook
youtube – power of storytelling – one fact you communicate in terms of special place ideasbank – actionable ideas that youth can take videos are taken by adults, and 1 by kids communicate
role of stories, far beyond just a tale
expand the idea of stories
young people are targeted for marketing – peers etc how do we interpret the world making stories with meaning shouldn’t be just I’m not good enough that I need to buy something…
create youth space
check your ideas and beliefs around your own belief especially language – alienation and class power is always an issue
want to constrain to value system – invite youth without restriction – unblock that disconnect
Youth have it figured it out – we need the help
Where is the intergenerational reciprocity? What do adults give if youth are encouraged to participate?
working with youth is still the “other”
we have something valuable
youth are questioning the value systems
avoid stereotyping
less universal
computer aspect for example
what are some principles
each group has to work with youth
- suppression of difference must be avoided
- dialogue continuously
- level the playing field
- food
- trust
- we have to be careful in the way we market our services
- be careful representing the youth
- direct programs
- public policies in Canada, ie early childhood education and crime
- concept of play is important
- identity formation
- consortium – arts based organizations
- challenge municipalities to be youth friendly
- abdication of parenting – how are parents responsible?
two parts to the question
- training youth and adults
- approach is being there
- cultural
- be the best ancestor you can be
- have youth be able to do what?
- intergenerational work