Youth Volunteer Engagement: Important Considerations

1. Youth Volunteer Engagement: Important Considerations • Joanne Cave May 20, 2009

2. who am I? • founder of a youth-led non-profit organization, Ophelia’s Voice • avid volunteer from the age of 12! • Alberta Youth VOLUNTEER! Board Member & committee member for the Youth-Mentor program at Vitalize • upcoming workshops/panels at CAVR - a technology panel and the session “Get Creative, Get Tech Savvy!” • summer research assistant at the Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families preparing a youth engagement handbook for community organizations (available in August 2009)

3. our perception of youth needs to shift from resources, recipients or representatives to leaders, change agents, and mobilizers. personal agency civic responsibility leadership skills empowerment validation asset development sustainability of the social sector

4. benefits to youth • validation of their opinions and skills • an opportunity to contribute to an issue or affect decision-making • build networks and relationships • build leadership skills, can supplement resumes, scholarship applications & volunteer hours for school

5. benefits to your organization • supports creative and inclusive decision-making • energizes and brings life to an organization • perspective on youth needs, if that is a target audience • promotes sustainability • utilizes their leadership skills, capabilities & perspectives

6. benefits to the community • sustainability of the social sector • healthier youth who engage in fewer high-risk behaviors • more emphasis on inclusion, accessibility & representation • improves the image of youth • more comprehensive decision-making processes

7. it’s a participatory right • Article 12 in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: “Youth have the right to give their opinion and for adults to listen and take it seriously” • If youth are a client group of yours, it is especially important that they participate in program design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation (for your benefit and theirs) • Recognition that adults sometimes don’t make decisions in the best interests of young people, can abuse their decision-making power, or can deliberately exclude youth from conversations

8. the barriers to your organization • How do we attract youth to our organization? • Our organization is already over-taxed; how do we find staff time or funds to support youth engagement? • How do we train/orient youth? How do we retain & recognize them? • How do we engage youth as an organization with little experience? • What if our organizational culture prevents us from engaging youth? • How do we create and offer youth-friendly volunteer opportunities?

9. the barriers to youth • opportunities that are tokenistic or not meaningful • inaccessible language/jargon & organizational processes • transportation access • timing of shifts and meetings & lack of consideration about school schedules • stereotypes/expectations about traditionally “engaged” youth • exclusive organizational cultures • lack of training or support for working within organizations

10. Continuum of Youth Involvement (Australian Youth Foundation) 6. Control: decision-making capabilities in governance and management 5. Negotiation: decisions made in youth-adult partnerships with equal value of both perspectives 4. Delegation: responsibility to complete organizational tasks (traditional volunteer roles) 3. Influence: formal, structured input (minimal) 2. Structured Consultation: development of a strategy for inclusion of youth input 1. Ad Hoc Input: short-term input opportunities

11. types of engagement • Traditional volunteer roles: supporting office administration, advocacy, special events, fundraisers, or programs (interacting with clients) • Assisting with program development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (especially if it’s geared towards youth) • Initiating a program or project with adult support • Participating on an advisory council or committee specific to youth or in partnership with adults • Participating in governance with adults (Board of Directors)

12. a question of capacity • The “age to engage” debate • Consider how many children & youth have started their own organizations at extraordinarily young ages! • Making adaptations for comprehension and skill level, while respecting differences in their capacity • For your organization, consider what level of maturity and knowledge base is needed (i.e. some organizations deal with sensitive issues in counseling programs)

13. who to engage? Source: www.takingitglobal.org

14. engaging the “under-engaged” Why? Strategies & Considerations • to ensure a diversity of perspectives • “over-engaged” youth may not represent your client group • because “under engaged” youth deserve the opportunities and resources to participate • because you’re not engaging youth by targeting one group • non-traditional engagement methods (technology, arts-based dialogue) • building genuine relationships will encourage retention • make accessibility a priority: honorariums for volunteer time, transportation, orientation • outreach & marketing

15. assessing organizational readiness • Has youth engagement been made a priority in your organization’s strategic plan? Is there genuine buy-in from board and staff? • Do you have the resources (staff time, financial) to support recruitment, orientation, support, retention & evaluation? • Is your recruitment strategy inclusive & comprehensive enough to reach different demographics of youth? • Have you amended bylaws or policies to allow youth to fully participate (quotas, voting privileges)? • Have you arranged for a youth and adult orientation/training? • Has your organization committed to building relationships with youth?

16. assessing organizational readiness • Has your agency acknowledged some accessibility requirements (transportation, meetings after school)? • Have you established regular “check in” times with youth volunteers to discuss their experience & trouble-shoot if needed? • Are your agency’s other events and projects youth-friendly (and fun)? Think about AGM’s, staff meetings ... • Will you direct resources towards retention & recognition? • Is there consideration to youth-adult power sharing and joint decision-making? • Does the strategy involve recruiting multiple youth, to avoid tokenization?

17. ethics • The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society has created the Declaration of Accountability on the Ethical Engagement of Young People & Adults in Canadian Organizations • child welfare checks • risk management & parental permission • safety precautions & policies

18. a youth-friendly organization • demonstrates openness to innovation & change • comfortable, informal working environment • diversity in staff & board • flexible hours • integrates technology • actively supports orientation, training, and recognition • values mentorships & relationships

19. youth-friendly volunteer opportunities • flexible hours and tasks, but in a stable environment • opportunities to work with other youth and adults; people-oriented • meaningful tasks - beyond stuffing envelopes! • evidence of their influence & decision-making abilities • integrates technology & media (online volunteering, Skype meetings, discussion boards)

20. recruitment considerations • don’t expect youth to come to you - go to them! • be cautious of tapping into other “pools” of youth; limited diversity • make the application process as user-friendly as possible • avoid cliched “youth friendly” language/images - youth like simplicity, clarity, and color • use websites, Facebook, Twitter to build an online following

21. orientation considerations • make orientation sessions concise, clear, and informal • orientating groups of youth is more fun & efficient • always consider training needs for adults about working with youth • include an intergenerational orientation as well • acknowledge & explain jargon • offer additional training on how non-profit organizations work if desired

22. retention/recognition considerations • demonstrate you are willing to make changes according to youth feedback • increase your expectations & opportunities for leadership as their commitment increases • offer experienced youth the opportunity to mentor new volunteers • offer experienced youth the opportunity to participate in staff job evaluations • recognize youth contributions internally & publicly • celebrate successes and milestones

23. evaluating effectiveness • Involve staff, board, and youth volunteers in evaluation process • Consider external evaluators to conduct the process • Consider quantitative (number of hours youth contributed, attendance of youth at meetings) and qualitative (anecdotes of their experiences, youth opinions about their involvement, quality of relationships) measures • Demonstrate your commitment to follow-through: celebrate successes and address concerns/weaknesses that come from evaluation • evaluate the impact of youth engagement on your agency, the youth volunteers and staff/board, and the community at large

24. Think City, Dream Vancouver Evaluation Model • engagement with community • program longevity • breadth of engagement • inclusiveness of engagement • strength of voice • sense of self within community • expansion of participants beyond self/school/home

25. Heartwood Institute Evaluation Model • inclusion • scheduling/transportation • youth capacity • adult capacity • continuity of youth participation • meaningful contributions • institutionalization • public relations • evaluation

26. promoting a community of practice for youth engagement • Public Policy: opportunities for youth to engage in policy development, analysis, and influence are often limited to advisory councils and consultations (youth often express frustration in the lack of follow-up) • Research/Academia: in fields of research that concern or involve youth, academics are turning to non-traditional methods (beyond interviews and case studies), including participatory action research and photo-voice • Examples: United Nations Association in Canada “Healthy Children Healthy Communities”, University of Toronto Health Promotion

27. my experiences: the good, the bad & the ugly! • the founder of a youth-directed and governed non-profit • the current executive of a municipal youth council and a 5-year member • a board member of a youth-governed organization • a 2 year term on a local Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee • a participant in youth conferences and short-term opportunities • a research subject and youth advisor on policy issues

28. final food for thought • “Key principles of [community youth development] include creating a culture of respect and partnership, creating a just and compassionate society, creating safe space, creating a culture of appreciation, transferring practical, usable skills, being conscious stewards of relationships, and finding and living one's true calling.” - Community Youth Development: A Framework for Action (Della Hughes, et al) • “Community Youth Development (CYD) is the process of young people being engaged in meaningful participation through planning, decision-making, and program delivery in our governments, organizations, institutions, and communities. While encouraging the gifts and talents of individual young people, CYD places equal focus on the investment of these assets in the community. Individual youth and adults, organizations, and communities all benefit when youth are engaged as full and active participants.” - Heartwood Institute

29. resources • Check back at the Community-University Partnership (http://cup.ualberta.ca) in the summer for the release of the youth engagement handbook & community forum • Please use the comprehensive resource list to learn more about youth engagement and how healthy practices can be integrated into your organization • Questions?