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Working with Youth
 Young people are invaluable resources for every community. Their unique perspectives, insights, and experiences bring diversity and richness to community projects. But how can adults get them involved? What should adults know about sharing power and leadership with young people? Here are some guidelines for adults who are seeking youth involvement in community projects:
MOBILIZING YOUNG PEOPLE
The key to mobilizing youth is to find issues that young people care about and will want to give their time and energy to. Environmental prevention projects are naturally inclined to spark the interests of young people. For example, when youth begin to understand how the alcohol industry targets them with advertising and promotional tactics, they often get angry and motivated enough to take action. Conversely, efforts to get them involved in projects that are strictly about individual youth alcohol use are more challenging; youth are less likely to want to be part of something that places blame and responsibility solely on their shoulders.
In addition, adults need to keep in mind that they have tremendous influence over the shape and structure of any youth-adult endeavor. Because of this, it is important for adults to understand some basic concepts of working with young people. There's a lot to learn: how to promote youth ideas, how to shift power from adults to youth, how to share leadership and decision-making. Fundamentally, adults need to learn how to be allies--supporting, guiding and working along side youth.
Youth participation is central. The key to mobilizing young people to contribute their time, talents, and energy to your project lies in successfully facilitating youth participation. This means giving young people (or sharing with them) a primary role in the planning process, so that youth are able to:
- identify problems the group will address
- participate in research to identify problem causes
- participate in identifying resources for solving problems
- formulate goals and action plans
Youth ideas are paramount. Adults need to learn how to elicit, foster, encourage, and develop the ideas of young people. Traditionally, adults see their role in the lives of young people in terms of the knowledge, wisdom, or experience they have to give. Truly working with youth requires adults to rethink that role, to begin to see the youth-adult relationship as reciprocal.
Understand the barriers. Our culture, reinforced by the educational system and the media, often treats young people as passive recipients of information rather than active participants in community life. Young people have been relegated to the role of consumers; it's little wonder that malls have become hang-out places for young people. So, what happens when social forces converge to limit youth to passivity and inaction? What happens when younger generations are told they can't contribute to the life of the community?
One of the most likely results is that people start believing what they hear. Both adults and young people begin to believe that youth have nothing to contribute. What impact does this have on our communities? Here are just two examples of how we are shortchanging young people and ourselves when we believe the lie:
- Hurting from city budget cuts to sports programs, a little league baseball team is encouraged by their coach to hold bake sales to raise money for uniforms, rather than protest these cuts directly to City Hall.
- Tired of the litter generated by the neighborhood convenience store--liquor bottles and beer cans--a youth group is encouraged to help with a neighborhood clean up rather than contact the proper authorities to demand that the store comply with good neighbor policies governing sidewalk cleanliness and safety.
The most powerful impediment to youth participation is adultism. In its most basic form, adultism refers to the attitudes and behaviors that result from adults assuming--consciously or not--that young people are inferior because they lack the life experiences of adults. "Adultists" relate to young people in authoritative, condescending, and controlling ways, all of which prevents young people from having the power to contribute, participate and create social change.
The good news is that adults don't have to let adultism rule the day; instead, they can seek out ways to shake up the status quo, share power with youth, and promote youth voices throughout society. Youth-adult partnerships and projects are most likely to succeed when young people are recognized as resources and given leadership roles as organizers, planners, advocates and educators.
WHAT YOUTH AND ADULTS NEED FROM EACH OTHER*
 To effectively mobilize young people, adults and youth each need to identify successful ways of working in partnership with each other. First, they need to recognize that each individual brings his or her own specific experiences, insights, and characteristics to the group. At the same time, there are some specific needs youth and adults have of each other that, if met, will contribute to the success of your project. Adults and youth need each other to:
BE ALLIES TO EACH OTHER
Suggestions for Adults: Young people need to see adults as honest, and reliable, and as true advocates for their needs and concerns. This happens when adults show genuine interest in and respect for what a young person is passionate about. As adults in these partnerships, we need to operate as unconditional advocates for the young people that are looking to us for our support.
Suggestions for Youth: Adults need to know that we give their experiences and insights the same respect we give to our peers. Often, adults can feel that their perspectives may be "dated" or irrelevant. It's important that as the youth participants in the process, we let the adults that we are working with know that their experience is equally valued.
TELL STORIES HONESTLY
Suggestions for Adults: Young people need to know that adults make mistakes. They also need to see adults actively creating environments that are free of judgment or blame. Too often we behave as though only our "best faces" can be shown and as though our successes are more important than lessons learned. As adults, we can break this mold by telling stories that include the challenges we've faced, the mistakes we've made, and the lessons we've learned. When we share our stumbling blocks along with our successes, we create a safer place for both youth and adults to work together.
Suggestions for Youth: Adults need to know that they are not expected to have all the answers or be infallible. This can be challenging for adults who have internalized their role as guiders, teachers, or "wise sages." As young people, we can remind our adult partners that we need their honesty and their insights instead of the "model" responses they might be inclined to provide. Additionally, we must remember and value the lessons that are learned from challenges and mistakes--and to learn from adults' stories without judgment.
PROMOTE TRUE HISTORY
Suggestions for Adults: Young people need information about their ancestry as well as other cultural, ethnic and gender struggles and achievements. True history helps us think of ourselves as responsible for one another's well being. As adults, we can facilitate this process by not only knowing and sharing our own history, but also by being knowledgeable about other community's stories.
Suggestions for Youth: Adults need to know that we are looking for accurate, authentic historyeven if this is perhaps different from the information that we have learned in our schools, communities, families, etc. We need to be open to learning from the stories and insights of adults and other youth. And we need to share our own history and experiences so that adults understand where we have come from, where we have been, and the lessons we have learned along the way.
CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Suggestions for Adults: Every day, young people make multiple choices that reflect their own thinking, relationships, preferences, and desires. These are all victories. As adult allies, we need to take notice of these acts of self-determination, and celebrate them. This means providing praise and congratulations to young people and giving them encouragement through our words, actions, and gestures. And, rather than acting surprised by their accomplishments (i.e., "I can't believe you were able to do all of that--Wow!"), we instead communicate our high expectations of their talents and skills (i.e., "I knew if there was anyone who could handle that job, it was you.").
Suggestions for Youth: Adults need to know that their work and contributions are valued, even if their efforts might seem insignificant to them. We need to make sure that adults hear how much we value their time and energy, and we need to celebrate their successes with them. This helps create a setting in which adults can sense and reciprocate our respect for the insights and perspectives they bring to the table.
GOOD REASONS TO INVOLVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECTS
Young people are natural leaders.
If your project impacts youth (and most community projects do!), then young people have the experience with and knowledge of one of your key stakeholders. They live "Best Practices" and can give feedback, decipher information and develop effective program strategies and evaluations.
Young people listen to other young people.
Having youth involved in your project will lend legitimacy to your efforts, especially in the eyes of other young people. And if your project seeks to positively impact the lives of youth, then involving young people in the planning and implementation gives the project integrity.
Young people provide energy and idealism.
The energy and vitality that young people bring to the table create a dynamic environment that benefits all group members and will contribute to the project's success. Their idealism is a refreshing reminder to more "experienced" adults who may have lost touch with their own passion for social change.
Everyone wins: youth and communities.
By involving youth in social change projects, and giving them opportunities to network, learn new skills, and share ideas, both youth and the community benefit. Youth discover and develop their abilities and talents while gaining valuable experience as community stewards; these types of experiences last a lifetime and prepare young people to be proactive, involved adults. Communities are strengthened by including youth voices and contributions. Communities also benefit by witnessing positive youth role-models, thereby challenging the stereotype of the apathetic (or worse) teen.
RESOURCES
Think you're all alone in this organizing thing? Luckily, you're not! Lots of groups have not only had great success with social change projects but have also documented how to replicate their efforts in other communities. Here are just a few resources for you to check out.
- The Youth Leadership Institute has produced several handbooks and toolkits for groups seeking assistance with social change projects. The toolkits listed below are specifically geared towards groups who are interested in implementing environmental prevention projects. For more info, visit www.yli.org, or contact Wendy Todd, Director of Prevention at wtodd@yli.org
- Planning for Action: A Youth Initiated Projects Manual. This interactive workbook is designed to help youth and adults strengthen group process skills in order to successfully plan and implement community projects. Sections include: Creating a sense of group purpose, the role of adult allies, identifying an issue, and developing an action plan. The second half of the workbook is devoted to helping groups apply to YLI's philanthropy programs for project support.
- Tools for Social Change: A Public Policy Manual. Includes an introduction to what policy is, how it is created, the forces that influence policy making, and the challenges we face in trying to create "good policy." Tools for Social Change outlines steps to advocating for policy change. This manual is ideal for groups just learning about the world of public policy and interested in getting involved.
- Toolkit: Store Activism: A Community Campaign To Address Issues of Alcohol and Tobacco. This toolkit focuses on two California policies. The first, called the "Lee Law," allows no more than 33% of a storefront's windows to be covered by any type of sign or advertising. The second prohibits the selling of tobacco products to people who are under 18 and alcohol products to those under 21. The Store Activism Toolkit will assist your group in assessing and decreasing alcohol and tobacco advertising in your local stores, paying particular attention to the placement of advertising, promotional items, and displays.
- Toolkit: Hands Off Our Holidays: A Community Action Toolkit. Across the country, communities are receiving unwanted attention from the alcohol industry. Alcohol companies know that if they equate holidays or celebrations with drinking alcohol, then they sell more of their products. The Hands Of Our Holidays Toolkit educates groups about the advertising and marketing practices of the alcohol industry and gives people tools and projects to counter industry efforts in their own communities.
Co/Motion is a national program that helps organizations build their capacity to foster youth leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of action strategies addressing community problems. Co/Motion publishes Co/Motion Guide to Youth-Led Social Change, which presents young people with the tools, skills, and strategies to work for change in their communities.
www.comotionmakers.org
The Midwest Academy is one of the nation's oldest and best known schools for community organizations, citizen organizations and individuals committed to progressive social change. The Academy publishes Organizing for Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists, now in its third editiona comprehensive resource for how to organize and mobilize for success.
www.midwestacademy.com
*adapted from the Oakland Men's Project Teens Need Teens program
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Alcohol
is a drug. It alters your mind, body and emotions. It is also our nation's
largest youth drug problem, killing 6.5 times as many young people as illicit
drugs combined.
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