Youth Adult Partnerships: Cultivating agency in youth and adults

1. Youth Adult Partnerships: Cultivating agency in youth and adults Fe Moncloa and Fiona reyes University of California

2. Meet the presenters

3. Learning Objectives • Increased understanding of core elements of youth-adult partnerships • Identify challenges and opportunities of youth participation • Increased understanding of strategies to sustain youth engagement

4. Agenda • Overview • YAP- a definition • Challenges and opportunities • Creating Welcoming Spaces • Decision-making & power • Sustaining youth engagement • Closing

5. Why Engage Youth as Partners? • Youth need opportunities for active learning • Youth need opportunities for new roles/responsibilities • Youth offer unique insight on policy/program design • Legitimate opportunities to engage in the present encourage youth to engage in the future • Youth are isolated from public decision making/work

6. Adult Roles in Youth-Adult Partnership • Adults may create opportunities for youth to co-lead within programs, organizations & communities • Adults may also serve as allies on issues and projects initiated by youth • SYNERGY occurs when both sides contribute

7. What are youth-adult partnerships? Youth-adult partnership is the practice of: • multiple youth and multiple adults deliberating andacting together, • in a collective [democratic] fashion, • over a sustained period of time, • through shared work, • intended to promote social justice, strengthen an organization and/or affirmatively address a community issue. (Zeldin et al 2012)

8. Meet Nancy

9. my grandparents to take me places • I was given personal invitations and was encouraged often to get involved I can communicate with the team using Google hangouts, or online meeting after I get out of school only during the summer if I am not working schedule meetings for 4:00 p.m. if they want youth participation close to a bus or metro station

10. What are the barriers to youth participation? (poll, check all that apply) • Responsibilities at home. • Some things cost too much money here. • Feeling unwelcome by adults. • Parents/caretakers not giving permission • Transportation • Feeling unwelcome by adults • Feeling physically unsafe • Worrying some people might look down on me. • Immigration status • Language barriers • Meeting location changes often

11. What are the factors that support youth participation? (poll, check all that apply) • Personal invitations to participate • Free transportation or rides • Meetings are held near the bus stop or metro • Virtual participation e.g. Google hangouts • Meetings are held after 4:00 p.m. • Stipend provided for youth • Snacks at meetings

12. Youth at the table

13. Youth at the table • Setting: A community health task force meeting just ended. The meeting started with everyone saying their names, but no icebreaker. After the meeting a couple of adults have the following conversation • https://youtu.be/Ncd5L_dgaK0

14. What is going on? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

15. Guiding questions Think about the time that you first walked into a meeting or a room where you knew no one and people did not welcome you at this meeting. • Were you an active participant at that first meeting? (poll: yes/no)

16. Guiding questions, continued • How can you create a sense of belonging for young people at meetings where the majority of people are adults? (poll/check all that apply) • Have a welcoming sign outside and at the door • Do a fun icebreaker at every meeting that goes beyond stating your name and your agency • Manage how people sit around the table so that youth do not sit on one side of the table • Ensure at least a third of participants are youth. Safety in numbers • Create opportunities to work in small groups during the meeting • Youth are engaged in ways consistent with their interests and skills • Youth are given clear roles and expectations • Encourage youth to take on the role of recorder, or small group presenter

17. Power & decision-making

18. Ideas and decision-making Setting: A community health task force with 25 adults and eight youth. Youth are actively participating in the conversation on how to improve sexuality education in the school. The chair person stated that this is a brainstorm, and that all ideas are good ideas. She adds, that during brainstorm sessions, there is no discussion, only idea generating. And that she will be recording the ideas.

19. Scenario Jenel (Y): I have an idea. In my school we have a TV broadcast every Wednesday morning where students make announcements of school events, clubs or sport games. I think we can introduce a brief skit around sexuality education each week into this broadcast. Fe: I don’t know Jenel. That is a great idea, but it may not work in all schools. I can just see parents complaining to the principal about this, and this would take us a few steps back. Susan (Y): Oh. Well, I have another idea. Why don’t we make a flyer announcing a presentation with people from public health at the school? Fe: Well, we have tried this several times before. And it just doesn’t work. The students that come to the talk are the ones who are already savvy about the topic. Fiona (Y): OK. How about we develop an app? Most teens have a smartphone and an app would be a somewhat easy thing to do. And the youth of this committee can work together to develop it. Fe: Fiona that is a good idea. However, I respectfully disagree with you. I think developing an app may be an easy thing to do for you, but the marketing of the app will take up too much time and resources we don’t have. How about if we go with your idea of doing something digitally and create a website instead? Fe: Any more ideas? Silence

20. What is going on? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

21. Sustaining youth engagement

22. Youth engagement • Meaningful youth engagement can be defined as involving youth in responsible, challenging action that meets genuine needs, with the opportunity for planning and/or decision-making affecting others… National Commission on Resources for Youth, 1974

23. Meaningful youth engagement means • Young people have opportunities to participate in decision making • Young people have opportunities to learn and practice leadership • Young people experience a sense of belonging • Young people and adults are working together, with both groups sharing equally in the decision-making (i.e., Youth-Adult Partnerships) Community Network for Youth Development (2001); Gambone, Klem, & Connell (2002); Hart (1992); National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2002)

24. Top 10 signs of youth engagement • Youth interests are reflected in the committee/task force/ program • Youth are involved in stating goals/needs • Youth are involved in activity/program planning and evaluation • Youth-led activities • Youth are peer trainers, teachers, advocates, or counselors • Youth engagement and mentoring happens over time • Youth are involved in civic/social justice movements • Youth hold positions of power in the committee/task force/ agency • Youth have fun and are excited to be a part of the activity, program or agency • Youth report feeling valued and respected as partners in the agency Horrilo, S. & Moncloa, F. (2018)

26. Levels of Youth Participation (Hart, 1992)

27. Guiding questions Think about the last time you worked with youth. • Where do you think the program/activity was on Hart’s ladder? (poll, check one) • Manipulation • Decoration • Tokenism • Assigned but informed • Consulted but informed • Adult initiated, shared decision with children and youth • Child initiated and directed • Child initiated, shared decision making with adults

28. Guiding questions Think about the community health council you are a member of. • If youth are present, where is the council in Hart’s ladder? (poll, check one) • Manipulation • Decoration • Tokenism • Assigned but informed • Consulted but informed • Adult initiated, shared decision with children and youth • Child initiated and directed • Child initiated, shared decision making with adults • What one strategy would help you to move youth’s participation up the ladder? (type in chat box)

29. In closing…

30. Do you have a better understanding of • Core elements of youth-adult partnerships • Challenges and opportunities of youth participation • Meaningful youth engagement

31. Resources for Youth-Adult Partnerships Zeldin, S. & Collura, J. (2010). Being Y-AP Savvy: A Primer on Creating & Sustaining Youth-Adult Partnerships. Ithaca, NY:ACT For Youth Center of Excellence. http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/19325/2/YAP-Savvy.pdf Camino, L., et al. (2006)Youth and Adult Leaders for Program Excellence: A Practical Guide for Program Assessment and Action Planning (YALPE). Ithaca, NY: ACT for Youth Center of Excellence. http://www.actforyouth.net

32. For more info • More information on youth adult partnerships from Shep Zeldin: https://fyi.uwex.edu/youthadultpartnership/.

33. References • Gambone, M.A., Klem, A., & . J.P. (2002). Finding out what matters for youth: Testing key links in a community action framework for youth development. Philadelphia: Youth Development Strategies Inc., and Institute for Research and Reform in Education • Hart, R. (1992). Ladder of participation, children’s participation: From Tokenism to citizenship. Innocenti Essays, 4. • Horrillo, S. & Moncloa, F. (2018, April). Making it Count: Strategies for increasing meaningful youth engagement in Extension work. [poster]. University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources Strategic Initiative Conference. Retrieved https://ucanr.edu/sites/statewideconference2018/files/282706.pdf • National Commission on Resources for Youth (1974). New roles for youth in the school and community. New York. • National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2002). Community programs to promote youth development. National Research Council: National Academy Press: Washington D.C. • Zeldin, S. Christens, B., Powers, J. (2012). The psychology and practice of youth-adult partnership: Bridging generations for youth development and community change. American Journal of Community Psychology, 51(3-4): 385-397 .

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