Day 13: Wednesday, July 21, 10

Agenda:

• Youth Participation Reflection Exercise
• 5 Minute Paper
• Break
• Key Concepts
• Interview Assignment
• Locating Opportunities

Personal Reflection: Youth Participation

1. What kinds of choices were available to you?
2. What were you responsible for?
3. What things could you do without adult direction?
4. What kinds of things did you and your peers decide?
5. Were you encouraged to practice independence?

5 Minute Paper:
Refer to Personal Reflection Exercise- Answer those questions above based on your own experience between the ages of 9-17.

Group Discussion:
Refer back to Personal Youth Participation Reflection

Questions we addressed:

Q1: Why might it be important for young people to have input into decisions that affect them?
Q2: How might they grow if they are allowed to take responsibility for fulfilling their own needs and guiding some of their own actions?
*Answers: Refer to Key Concepts (nice overview to these questions)

☆  Key Concepts: from Chapter 5 Fostering Meaningful Youth Participation in CNYD Youth Development Guide

☆ What is Meaningful Youth Participation?
Youth are:

• empowered to be self-directed
• making responsible choices
• understanding how to use time
• making influential decisions
• developing leadership skills
• receiving a sense of belonging
• seeing teachers as FACILITATORS

☆ Why is Meaningful Youth Participation Important?/How Do You Know If Your Program is Fostering Meaningful Youth Participation?

• give opportunities for youth growth
• keeping clear and consistent programming
• youth are partners
• adults use youth
• youth voice = value= opportunities to share= build strong relationships
• youth are empowered
• benefits: attendance/interest goes up= time spent disciplining goes down; overcome risks and obstacles
• "what you think and do matters"

☆ Fostering Meaningful Youth Participation in Your ASP
Staff must:

• have planning time and put thought into work
• obtain and master the skill to shift from "authority" to "facilitator"
• trade off the leadership: give the youth a little control to assist with learning new skills and leadership
• discuss issues/situations and be open to new strategies

Meaningful Youth Participation (more info):
creates trust between youth/child and adults
skills are being obtained by the youth such as self-reliance, leadership (age appropriate), problem solving amongst themselves


Youth Participation w/ Adult Support & Change Over Time

• don't have to ignore the rules to get youth to participate
• guide from a distance
• acknowledge the students over time- "no fading" aka do not miss or look over silent students 

Styles of Participation and Leadership

• youth as apprentices
• cascading= "see one, do one, teach one" aka youth see it done, do it themselves, then shows someone else how to do it
• don't stick to one teaching style or teach one style of learning; acknowledge different styles
• give youth titles (brings about confidence, power etc.)

☆Organizational Practices that Support Meaningful Youth Participation

• youth are decision makers/program planners
• be flexible with available resources (realistic and honest)
• provide "sensible space"
• low youth: staff ratio= the more students the less opportunity for assistance
• evaluations about the program by youth
• ongoing training and check-ins for staff

☆REMAINING KEY CONCEPTS WILL BE GIVEN FIRST THING IN CLASS TOMORROW!


☆Last Thought(s):
Think about a youth mind when every institution they're involved in gives them no choice:

• "No one is listening to me anyway"
• Low self-esteem
• shut down
• silent students: can give extra attention within reason, let them be the time being, always be consistent

Right Based versus Deficit: Right base has action, guidance, and gives empowerment usually involves choice. Deficit does not give "choice" in the manner we speak of


Reflection Paper #5 Due Tomorrow (Thurs, July 22, 10)


Family/Community Interview Due Tomorrow (Thurs, July 22, 10)